Orphans of Time
by olehoncho
Summary: AU retelling of Naruto. Age adjustment: Anko is 13, Zabuza is 15. Anko has been raised as Orochimaru's daughter. Story begins with Zabuza and Haku surviving their fight with Team 7. A savage re-imagining of Naruto. Zabuza x Anko, Haku x ?
1. Chapter 1

"Concentrate. Lissten to my voice. Focuss your sensess. Reach out to your sisster: see what she seess, feel what she feelss, let your awareness join with herss…"

Slowly the young girl's sense of self faded and drifted through the mists. It swept down the cliff, through the trees, and across the water. All at once the sensation of gliding through water rippled over her skin and she knew the technique had succeeded. Her spine twisted as she slowly rose up the pillar that supported the end of the bridge. An itch in the back of her mind, less than a whisper, told her to pull back.

"It'ss dangerous to sstay in her form sister. You have formed the connection, now come back."

The girl's gaze widened and pulled out of the white snake's body, taking in the entire scene. She saw an unfinished bridge, shrouded in mist, and a distant town still asleep.

"You are improving young one. That is the farthest you have been able to manage that technique sso well."

Reaching up to her neck, Anko ran her hand along the jade cobra's body, feeling every smooth scale.

"Eye of the serpent is not often used at such a distance; it is harder to establish the connection."

"You mean harder to releasse the connection. Bai's body felt like your own."

Anko nodded, not wanting to discuss it further. Someone had used the Hidden Mist technique and this was the only option she had to penetrate it. The cold shadows in the mist began to light up, and even the smallest details of their characters were soon visible.

"Do you ssee him? The one Orochimaru sent us to watch?"

Uchiha Sasuke. Anko was well aware of Orochimaru's longstanding fascination with the Uchiha Clan, but was this boy worthy of the attention? That was what she was sent to find out. Tracking them from Konoha was an easy feat. A party of five travelers, two battle sites along their way to the Land of Waves, forest full of trees marked with horizontal scratches obviously from a chakra lesson. For a boy of twelve this Uchiha was both more, and significantly less than she had expected. His combat was fair, but his ninjutsu was severely lacking.

"I see him. He is fighting the boy in the facemask."

Anko pulled out her notebook and wrote down everything she saw. Orochimaru was always interested in the small details that others often missed. She had trained herself to look for those things, not only on her missions but in life as well.

Uchiha fights mask boy. Masked boy uses one-handed seals. Uchiha shows skill in taijutsu.

All at once her nose grew cold as she felt the air temperature drop significantly. She felt Bai curl up to maintain body heat while keeping an eye on the scene. Not letting surprise distract her, Anko continued her notes.

Boy in mask possesses ice kekkei genkai. Ice teleportation mirrors prove too much for Uchiha to follow. The other Kiri nin, though younger, stands his ground against Sharingan Kakashi. The other genin is of no worth, the third arrives but runs into the ice trap. Uchiha fire technique too weak against ice mirrors. Boy in orange shows high stamina, multiple shadow clones useless against ice mirrors.

Kakashi fights the other Kiri nin, who seems to be wielding the kubikiribucho despite his youth. Hidden Mist techniques give him the advantage over Kakashi.

"There, do you see it?" Qing hissed in her ear.

It was vague, easily overlooked but Anko sensed it. There was a strange heat blooming in the Uchiha's eyes.

"Sharingan?" Anko asked.

"The way he's able to follow the ice boy's movements, it can't be anything else."

For Anko the battle had been easy to follow. There was always a warmth to the mirror the ice boy hid in, it was subtle but she could sense him. Like any technique, it could be defeated as it is only as strong as the user.

Uchiha activates Sharingan. The Uchiha puts self in harms way to protect team mate.

A tremendous heat bloom erupted from the blonde team mate. It must have been a terrible chakra as it even caused Bai to abandon her position on the bridge. The white snake instead moved on top of the tower at the end of the incomplete bridge. From that position many new things came to Anko's awareness.

The new chakra has proven too much for the ice nin to handle, the blonde boy defeats him. Boy rises with a shattered mask, ice mirror technique fades. A dozen boats are slowly rowing towards the bridge. They are mercenaries by the look of them. A distant figure watches the battle with intent and is moving through the mists towards it. Kakashi pulls out a scroll, most likely a summoning scroll. Confirmed, a pack of dogs attacks the swordsman. The distant figure draws closer; the men in boats begin climbing up the bridge. Ice boy and Blondie converse. Kakashi uses chidori, intending to finish off the swordsman. Ice mirrors fly, the man jumps up the bridge…

Anko pulled back her sleeve and bit her thumb. Wiping the blood along her forearm she made the seals to reverse summon Bai. In a cloud of smoke the white serpent appeared coiled around her arm.

"Why did you call me back?" Bai asked while slithering up to rest on Anko's shoulder.

"It was getting too hot down there. See even now the mists disperse." Qing observed.

On the bridge the stranger revealed himself. He was a tall man with blue hair wearing a blue robe. The man's right eye was hidden behind a black patch. He strained himself as he grasped Kakashi's wrist in one hand, and the other hand on the ice boy.

"Our observation is done. We should leave now."

"No, I want to see how this ends." Anko said as she cast a camouflage technique and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Zabuza stumbled back as the dogs holding him disappeared in smoke. The momentary relief caused his concentration to waver which broke the Hidden Mist technique. It was not the feeling he had expected. Kakashi's lightning cutter was well known, a fitting way for any shinobi to die. The scene that met his eyes surprised him more than he cared to admit.

Haku had appeared through an ice mirror to his right. He stood intending to block the technique from hurting Zabuza, but he was not the only new addition to the scene. Standing stoically even as perspiration poured down his face, Ao stood between Kakashi and Haku. He strained himself: protecting Haku with one hand, and holding Kakashi's wrist with the other. The thousand birds faded and Haku fell to the ground in front of Zabuza.

"It is an honor to finally meet the famous 'Sharingan' Kakashi, though I had hoped for different circumstances." Ao released Kakashi's wrist and stood back. Kakashi righted himself and rubbed his right wrist with his off hand, soothing it after the iron grip.

"You have two advantages over me. You know my name, and you prevented my attack when you could have launched one of your own."

Ao swept his eyes over the scene and shook his head. "Yes I'm afraid that there is much to explain here. I am Ao of Kirigakure, advisor and teacher of these two youths you see before you. Ambitious and strong-willed they took on a job to prove themselves, not knowing that the job to assassinate Tazuna and prevent the building of the bridge had been rejected by the Jounin Council." Ao's eyes looked over the scene, stopping in particular on the wounded Uchiha boy. "I'm not certain how we can repay this."

"The Mizukage and the Council are too selective of the missions the village accepts." Zabuza would not take this silently. "Our income is already limited by our location, and this job paid well."

The fact that one eye was hidden behind a path did little to lessen the sternness of Ao's glare. "You lack the vision to know what is best for the village Zabuza. This bridge means trade; the ports on the east side of the island will finally be of use which will make this island a crucial hub for all trade from the southern islands. Gatou wanted to eliminate this threat to his interests in the northern mainland ports. The Council decided that the trade would benefit Kirigakure and the Water Country far more than a paltry purse from a thug would."

"We have company." Kakashi indicated with the nod of his head.

"That's one thing I hate about you shinobi, you take too long to do anything." Gatou, a weasel of a man appeared with a large group of sword-wielding men at his back. "I should have just done this from the start. This town has been nothing but trouble and I've decided to cut my losses." Turning to his mercenaries, Gatou instructed, "Kill them and burn the town to the ground. Take whatever loot you want." Then pointing to Haku with his one good arm, "But leave that one alive, I personally owe him one for breaking my arm."

"I feel personally responsible for this." Ao turned to the mob and pulled back his sleeves. "It may be a small courtesy, but allow me to deal with them."

As Ao threw himself at the mob of mercenaries, Zabuza fell to his knees and placed his hand on Haku's forehead. He as alive but unconscious. The blonde kid really did a number on Haku.

"He was going to sacrifice himself for you." The boy said from behind.

"So?" Zabuza said it as matter of fact. "You heard Haku's story. All he wanted was to be used. To have a place he belonged. He asked you to kill him and when your hand failed he sought Kakashi's."

"That's not what he wanted at all!" Too tired to dodge, Zabuza felt the younger boy's fist strike his jaw; but with no strength the punch was too weak to hurt. "You don't know how important you are to him. He was an orphan just like… just like… and you were his brother! You helped him regain something he thought he had lost forever… And he was going to give his life for you because he didn't want to lose that again."

"Zabuza, I'm sure Ao would say the same thing. Shinobi are not tools. You found and trained Haku, you gave his life some purpose, but that's not enough."

"You don't need to say any more. I think I understand. We have to be human first." Standing up, Zabuza grabbed his sword and slung it across his back before bending down again to lift Haku. The last remnants of Gatou's mercenaries jumped off the bridge to escape from Ao, who was already walking back dragging Gatou behind him.

"I'll let you give this one to the village for their justice. Are you ready to return Zabuza?"

"No, but today I've learned that there are worse fates than getting a lecture from the Mizukage."

"Very well." With a wave Ao acknowledged Kakashi, "I'm sure the two of us would have much to talk about, but I need to get these two back home to Kiri."

"It's probably better that way. I'll take care of the rest here."

The walk to the east docks was made easier when Haku woke up and could walk on his own. Ao had traveled as quickly as boat would allow him, and only barely made it in time. They traveled in silence until Ao's curiosity got the better of him.

"So, was this the only encounter you had with the Konoha nin?"

"No, we fought once before." Zabuza replayed the encounter in his mind. He should have known Gatou was up to no good when we learned that the Demon Brothers were also hired for the job. "We used one of our old coastal bases to recuperate after Kakashi defeated me the first time."

"You were beaten by Kakashi and survived to fight him a second time?"

"Haku forced me into a coma and then fooled Kakashi into thinking I was a missing nin."

"I imagine we will be in a lot of trouble when we get back." Haku said with a solemn tone.

"There is no avoiding punishment; but the fact that you are coming back to face it speaks well for you. I shall see what I can do for you two."

And just like that there was nothing more to say. Ao would not push them for anymore information, knowing the Jounin Council would press for every small detail. There was one thing on the edge of Zabuza's mind that still bothered him. He had always possessed a talent for knowing when he was being watched. Never before had he felt it while using his Hidden Mist technique, but today was different. He knew someone had been watching from a distance. Rather than trouble him, the thought was somehow… exciting.


	2. Chapter 2

The air in the waiting room was heavy. A pipe in the corner vented steam, deliberately broken to give the air a certain atmosphere; but there was more in the air than steam. Fear. Zabuza had worked with Hunter Nin before. When he graduated from the academy they didn't see him as anything different from the other genin. After he took the great sword Kubikiribocho as his own he felt respected, even at his young age he made them nervous. Now, despite their training, not a one of them stood comfortably.

Haku was seated across the table from him. Despite the sauna conditions of the room he kept his cool, which Zabuza thought made sense. The door to the Mizukage's office had been rather busy since Ao went in twenty minutes ago. Six times messengers had been sent to retrieve documents. Zabuza almost laughed, 'If I knew I'd be the cause of this much trouble I'd have done something like this long ago.'

"Zabuza-san?" Haku spoke, hands clasped in his lap. After six years together Haku still used 'san' when speaking, despite the fact they were the same age. "There would be less to worry about if we were just shown in immediately. This longer we wait the better our condition is, I think."

"Yeah. The old bat hasn't made up her mind yet." That comment caused two of the hunter-nin to cough behind their masks.

"Do you mind if I ask a question before we are called in?"

"Ask, while you still have a tongue."

"We took on Gatou's mission because Kiri's on hard times, yet I know at the same time you are resentful of this city." Haku stopped there, Zabuza knew it was because he couldn't find the words to ask the other questions. In truth, Zabuza didn't entirely know himself.

"I was once asked a question by a certain man. At first I thought that I needed to understand where he came from to figure out the answer. Now I know for certain that is not so. I almost thought I had an answer, but after talking to that boy I don't know if I'm closer to the answer or farther from it."

"That boy? You mean Naruto?"

"Yeah." Zabuza remembered the scene. How Haku moved to act as his shield against Kakashi's attack. A part of him had expected the move, but he had not expected how it would affect him. Deep down, he felt that it would have been a tragic waste.

"We have to be human first." Zabuza quoted himself. Haku sat back in his seat with a very thoughtful look. "That's a very foreign concept in our profession… and maybe that's what we need." Zabuza finished in a whisper.

The doors opened and Ao came out holding threes scrolls in one hand, one of which was still unrolled and fluttering as he walked. Not wanting to hear instruction on how he should act around the Mizukage, Zabuza nodded to Haku and they walked into the office.

The Mizukage's office was deceptively cool and dry in comparison to the waiting room. Zabuza had found the design specs in a secret library, of seals set into the stone around it to maintain certain conditions. It was no high-rise office, but rather a simple one in the poor part of town. Terumi Mei wanted to give off a different impression from the previous Mizukage, that she was more approachable.

The Mizukage's assistant, a man of advanced years read from a folder, "Momochi Zabuza, age 15, official rank genin, special rank Member of the 'Seven Swordsmen', registration number…"

"Would you cut it short? We all know who I am."

He set the folder down on the table and picked up a second. "We indeed do young man. You are still on probation for crippling a fellow student from the academy six years ago. Not to mention the incident with Kisam-" A sharp look from the Mizukage cut him off.

"Do you know what they are calling you around town Zabuza?" Mei asked with an edge to her voice.

"No. You've had Haku and I in isolation for the last week."

"Despite my best efforts, news of your two fights with Sharingan Kakashi has spread. They say that in order to have survived his devil's eye not once but twice, you must be a demon yourself."

"'Demon of the Mist'? I rather like the sound of that."

"I'll be honest; I still haven't decided what to do with you. It would have been most convenient if you had just died, but Ao decided to intervene and save both of your lives."

"I take full responsibility Mizukage-sama. I was the one who talked Zabuza into accepting the job." Haku spoke up. Zabuza knew it for a lie, but Haku was always willing to take the blame for their other stunts.

"Leave us." She waited for the room to empty. She unrolled a scroll on her desk revealing very complex seals which Zabuza recognized. With a few hand seals and a puff of smoke the Kubikiribocho lay carefully on the desk before them.

"Let's be honest now. We all know the power and legacy of this sword. Most of the other seven swords are gimmicks; this is the one that truly mirrored the ideals of the 'Bloody Mist.' I am faced with two problems." She removed the handle of the sword and began rolling it between her hands. "I have a couple of rebellious genin who can't decide whether they belong in the new Kirigakure or not. If this were my only problem the solution would be simple. I'd tell you to get with the program or else I'll have you both dissected." She tapped the handle against the blade to punctuate her point.

"But it's not that simple." Haku spoke up. Zabuza knew he had guessed the Mizukage's second problem. "If we were just dull knives we would be easily expendable; but you can't just make us disappear, we shine too bright."

"So I have two tools that I'm not certain what to do with. You Haku are curious, calculating, and brilliant, you possess the Ice bloodline, but you are totally dedicated to Zabuza. And for your part Zabuza, you are a dangerous young man. Driven, but lacking in direction."

"My patience is at an end lady. If you're going to punish us do it. Banish us, fine. If you're going to kill us… you had best do it before I take that handle from you and put that sword to good use."

Mei sat back down and casually tossed the handle to Zabuza. As fast as he could he reached for the sword but found a folder in his hand instead of the blade. To his left, Haku tapped his shoulder and pointed up. The blade was firmly planted in the ceiling.

Inside the folder were eighteen dossiers. Each one was a noble, a businessman, high ranking government officials, or man of some importance.

"What do you make of them Zabuza?"

He handed the list to Haku and deferred to his friend's judgment. "They are all high profile people from the Land of Water. This one is the Water Daimyo's brother. These two do business together. Otherwise there is nothing that connects them all."

"Nothing? Oh yes, I had forgotten. You have been in isolation for some time now. They all do have one more thing in common. They are all making a trip out to Konoha in two month's time."

All at once it hit him. "The Chuunin exams. No, you can't be serious."

"Despite your skills you are both still ranked genin."

"Kiri has its own internal promotion system. We barely send anyone to Konoha for that."

"These are your options: you stay and I will send you on the most menial and degrading of missions. It will not be long before those currently in awe of you as the 'Demon of the Mist' will pity you. Or, you capitalize on your new fame and go to Konoha."

"I won't be your tool."

"This is not a cold calculation stupid boy! It is a human calculation. You are old enough to know about the bloody mist, but you didn't live through it. Even you Haku and your life's tragedy only know a portion of what we had to suffer through. The Third Mizukage was a bloody tyrant, but it's not enough to just forget about him. We need a new start, we need heroes."

"Are you so desperate that you are willing to have us play this part?" Haku asked. "You yourself admitted that you don't even know if you can trust us."

"I don't." Standing up again she walked around the table and placed her hands on their shoulders. "But I believe in you."

Inside Zabuza felt slightly sick from all the sentimentality that had been subjected to of late. Taking her hand from his shoulder he finally decided, "We'll do it. Of all the things you could have asked of us, this sounds the easiest."

"There is one problem with this plan though Mizukage-Sama." Haku's concern obvious in his voice. "The Chuunin exams are based around three man teams. Zabuza and I graduated as a two man cell."

"That was a special exception we made at the time because Ao approved it. By now he should be back with your new team mate."

Zabuza's mind raced at the thought of all the students from recently graduated classes. None of them came to mind as anything spectacular since the Hozuki boy disappeared mysteriously.

A knock at the door broke his train of thought as Ao walked in escorting a young man with what looked like the Hiramekarei on his back.


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken Anko longer to find the hideout than she liked. She scowled at no one in particular that Orochimaru had reversed his schedule of moving his location. He was a man who took precautions, and could not be blamed for that. After all, one must be careful when planning a war.

Pricking her thumb with her kunai she made the seals and spoke the words "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." The smoke revealed the key guardian, a fat little Tsuchinoko. In his slow mumbling he asked for the password, which Anko answered in his own tongue. "Your accent is improving young one." With a cough the snake expelled the key from his body. Before leaving, Anko asked him to send out Bai and Qing.

As Anko opened the secret door, two snakes appeared on her shoulders. She patted their heads in turn and the white snake Bai licked her ear. The door closed automatically behind them, and Anko walked the torch lit corridor. Several of the front rooms and halls were all trapped and empty of anything important. Stopping at one, Anko marked a slight change. The geometric patterns on the walls were meant to look, grotesquely, like a snake's digestive tract. Examining the lines at the start of one particular hallway Anko noticed that the solid lines were not solid at all, but rather contained a tiny script of advanced seals.

"Let me see." Anko began thinking to herself, pausing a moment to study the finer details. "Those seals run the length of the hallway, twisting around as they go. Meaning they are activated by eyesight, and produce a slight vertigo effect. This line is an open loop, so there is no limit to how many people can fall into this trap. And that script…" Anko knew most of the seal language Orochimaru had invented; genjutsu seals that could attack specific body parts. The more complex ones could actually control the nervous system to such an extent that a victim's muscles would twitch so violently it could break their own bones.

"That's that diaphragm symbol Anko." Qing, the jade cobra finally spoke up. "The muscle contracts and freezes, making the victim's lungs empty and never refill."

A final examination of the seal finally revealed the balance that made the trap work. No complex trap seal is perfect, the trade of the effect is a built in way to disarm it. This trap could be disarmed with four blood seals at the start of the hall.

"I wonder if that was a test for you. Orochimaru does like to surprise you with odd examinations." Bai said as she curled around Anko's neck.

"Father is always coming up with odd things like that. But he told me he had something else in mind when I got back from our scouting mission." A soft sound was in the air, out of place. Anko reacted by jumping to the side, on instinct she reached her hand out and grabbed the end of the senbon needles crushing two tiny bells in her fingers. Letting the ruined sound weapons fall to the ground, Anko said without turning her head, "Sloppy throw Kin."

A rustle of cloth above her revealed the location of a second ambush. Dosu dropped down and smashed into the ground with his heavy sound gauntlet. It would take until the smoke cleared for him to realize he had only hit a shed skin clone. Anko activated her eye of the serpent and found Zaku hiding from view behind a door.

"Sen'eijashu." Anko's hidden snakes flew from her coat's sleeve and tore the door from its hinges and pushed it on top of the unsuspecting sound Nin. Kin came in from Anko's blindside; as Dosu rebounded from Anko's other side. They were each using their sound techniques, Kin's bells and Dosu's gauntlet, hoping to exploit the easily assaulted sense. She did not bother to defend; from the room Zaku exploded the door, sending splinters of wood in all directions. The noise from that drown out Kin's and Dosu's techniques. Dosu persisted, hoping to land a hit on Anko.

"Doton: Iwagakure no Jutsu." Anko sank into the floor, grabbing Dosu's hand and pulling it down with her. The technique allowed her to move freely in the earth, where the vibrations of the sound waves were absorbed. More importantly, Dosu was trapped in the floor, leaving her to deal with Zaku and Kin. "Sen'eijashu." Another volley of hidden snakes trapped Zaku and Kin in place, ending the fight.

"A splendid spar." Orochimaru's words came from behind Anko. "I did enjoy watching it." Anko had not noticed him. Ever since he had taken that new body of his two years ago, he was harder to locate. This must have been the reason he had selected it. Stomping his foot to the ground, Orochimaru pulled up Dosu. Waving his hand, Anko's hidden snakes disappeared back into her cloak. "As punishment for failing to even hit Anko… you will clean up all the splinters from Zaku's outburst." A groan escaped the three, but they nodded and started about their work.

Turning to Anko, Orochimaru escorted her back to the hallway she had looked at earlier. "You did well at analyzing these seals, so let me tell you a secret." A hidden snake emerged from his sleeve and went up to push a hidden button on the ceiling. The sealing text was on a rotating screw-like panel that disappeared instantly. Orochimaru led her down the now safe passage.

"How was your trip to the Country of Waves?"

"It went well Father. I got the data you asked me for, and the fight turned out to have a few other surprises."

Reaching the end of the hallway, Orochimaru made hand seals for an earth jutsu which raised a hidden room in front of them. Going inside Anko found that he had moved his resting chamber. "Such as?"

Pulling her notebook from her pocket, Anko set down: the notes from the battle she had witnessed, a message from one of Orochimaru's spies in Kirigakure, and information from a contact in the Land of Waves. "These are the notes on the Uchiha boy."

"Tell me, what did you think of him?"

"He's not my type. His face is too pretty."

"Ha ha. Serves me right for raising you around all the roughnecks I've gathered over the years. What do you think his level is at?"

"He's still learning to focus his chakra. He can manage fireballs but nothing more complex than that. I was impressed with his taijutsu level, but he's not a battle strategist. Oddly enough, he was not the most interesting person in the fight."

Orochimaru fingered the ring he sometimes wore on his finger. He never talked much about his days with Akatsuki, but Anko knew he thought about it often. "Something happened with the blond boy?"

"An explosion of power, a screech so horrifying I felt Qing shiver on my shoulder." Qing hissed at her, but settled down.

"The boy will be dealt with, but this represents another problem. I will deal with the brat later, but he is ultimately unimportant. It is the Uchiha boy that interests me."

"Your new vessel? He isn't ready."

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean we can't aid his development."

Anko thought for a moment, she raised her hand to pet Bai on her neck but was really thinking about the curse seal. "If you mean what I think you mean, you will have to get him alone."

"We will have an opportunity coming up." Orochimaru placed a folder on the desk with Konoha marking on the cover. "I've been whispering in the ears of many powerful nobles, telling them of the Uchiha boy. They're all interested at seeing him at the Chuunin exams. The political pressure will be great."

"I thought you were only going to use the Chuunin exams as the backdrop for your attack on Konoha. Adding the Uchiha boy into these plans will make things more complicated."

"It will be easy enough. I have already arranged most of the details, save one. I will mark the Uchiha boy in the Forest of Death; Konoha always uses that place for the exams. I want you there with me."

Fingering the report from the Kirigakure spy, Anko felt an odd sensation; there was a tightness in her chest. It didn't stop her from asking, "You want me to fight the Uchiha boy?"

"Yes, I could fight him myself to test his skills, but I'd rather have your hands on opinion. My own opinion would be colored by my Uchiha fascination; yours would be much blunter."

The nervousness passed and Anko shook her head in agreement.

"Good girl." Orochimaru sat down on his couch and waved her off. "I need to rest now. I have to finalize the details about Sunagakure this evening. And tomorrow, we will see how your training has improved."

Leaving the room, Anko walked back down the hallway; reactivating the seal that Orochimaru had shown her. The "Sound Three" were still at work picking up splinters. Dosu shot her an angry glare, but a hit from Kin got him back to work. Walking into the main hall Anko saw the Snake statue that Orochimaru liked in his lairs. She remembered all the days in her youth she spent climbing all over it, hiding in its coils, hanging from the fangs, and sliding down the scales.

She remembered well those first years, her mother died when she was four. Orochimaru told her that her birth father had been killed when the Kyuubi had attacked Konoha. He had taken in her mother, a very skilled medical kunoichi who died in the middle of a chakra experiment. The day when he had brought home Kimimaro, he older brother. Her fifth birthday was when their small family began to grow.

Arriving at Kimimaro's room, Anko saw he was finishing up with a physical from Kabuto. Kabuto excused himself and gave Kimimaro a new bottle of drugs to add to the collection on the dresser. He shook his head and sounded doubtful. "No new developments." Anko sat on his bed and held his hand. Her brother was dying, and despite all the knowledge Orochimaru had collected there was nothing to be done.

As siblings they had shared everything with one another. Orochimaru had brought in other orphans, but they did not feel like part of the family. Their feelings towards him were more awe and admiration than love.

"You seem distracted Anko. What's wrong?" Kimimaro asked as he put out a hand, letting Qing wrap around his arm.

A memory flashed in Anko's mind. Of a young man with a great sword, his face wrapped, his hair wild as he fought one of Konoha's most elite Jounin. A young man the spy from Kirigakure said would be attending Konoha's Chuunin Exams. The thought of seeing him up close and in person sent a rush of excitement through her body. This new sensation felt dangerous, it was thrilling.

"I think I'm in love." Anko said as licked her lips and smiled deviously.


	4. Chapter 4

"Begin." Orochimaru said from the raised observation level. One by one the torches along the walls of the arena went cold shrouding the pit in darkness. Letting her body grow cold, Anko felt her senses awaken. She could feel her four opponents by their body heat. As they circled her the darkness was temporarily lit up by the chakra from their curse seals.

'Amateurs.' She thought to herself. Activating the first level of their lesser curse seals took several seconds, where her Seal of Heaven was instantaneous. 'Power is will,' she repeated in her mind, 'and where you must surrender to gain your power, the seal of heaven submits to me.'

All at once, wildfire spread across her skin. The glowing violet lines resembled snake scales before cooling into a black tattoo-like pattern that covered her entire body.

Kidomaru was the first to attack, joined by Jirobo; their attacks were easy to counter. Jirobo was known for his great strength and balance, a strong smack to the side of his head disoriented and stunned him long enough for her to throw him to the ground. The six-armed man, better suited to long range attacks, was weak at Taijutsu. More hands meant more targets; jumping up she grabbed two of his wrists and planted her feet into his chest. Two identical popping sounds confirmed that she dislocated two of his wrists.

Turning back, she found Tayuya summoning her Doki while Sakon and Ukon were advancing to their stage two curse seal forms. From above, Orochimaru was only half watching the fight, doing paperwork on a lit desktop. Anko knew that the longer this fight went on, the worse things would get for her. Each lined scale on her body grew hard as Anko went into her own second stage. 

* * *

"Mist nin? What are you doing here?" The Konoha chuunin at the city gate's guard post made a show at authority and control, but his apprehension was all too apparent.

"Chojuro-kun. Give him the document." Haku's voice was the only voice of reason Zabuza had had along this trip. The new kid was entirely too green for something like this, let alone the title of "Seven Swordsman" he carried uncomfortably as the sword on his back.

"Compliments of Mizukage-sama. We are here to attend the Chuunin examinations." Chojuro nearly dropped the travel visas. More than once Zabuza had considered killing the youth as he slept, but whenever that thought crosses his mind Chojuro's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. As much as the kid's behavior bothered him, more and more Zabuza was inclined to believe it was an act.

Overlooking the paperwork, the chuunin obviously felt this to be beyond his pay grade and referred them to the Hokage's office. Zabuza tightened his camouflage armbands and followed the main road into town.

"Perhaps they didn't expect us to arrive so early. It is another week until the exams begin." Haku observed.

"We need to acclimate ourselves to the weather here." Zabuza said without turning his head. "Without as much moisture in the air it will take you longer to form your ice mirrors and my mist techniques won't have the same area of effect. Plus we haven't seen everything pear-boy can do."

"I do have a name Zabuza-senpai." The kid didn't take to teasing kindly, which was why Zabuza teased him.

"Let's have a little test then. You get it right, and I'll call you by your proper name. Get it wrong, and it's pear-boy. Deal?"

"I'll try." Chojuro said, lacking conviction.

"Okay then." Zabuza did a quick turn before continuing towards the Hokage's tower. "How many Konoha jounin are spying on us right now?"

Answering too fast, Chojuro said, "Nine."

"Haku, how many are there?"

Not even turning his head, his expression impossible to read behind his mask, "There are eleven Zabuza san. My apologies Chojuro kun, but you will remain pear-boy to Zabuza san until you pass one of his tests."

Chojuro remained silent as they were processed through the paperwork to stay at the apartments the Mist Village had purchased. They were to report back each day at two o'clock to update their status and report their activities. Keys to the apartment, a supply shed, and a map to their personal training grounds were given, and an appointment with the Hokage was scheduled in four days.

"Any other questions?" The aged woman handling their paperwork asked.

"Yeah." Zabuza spoke. "Tell Kakashi that I plan on eating his students if I see them in the exams." With a cruel laugh Zabuza grabbed the keys and led the others out of the room.

"Was that necessary Zabuza san?" Haku asked.

"You're not really going to eat them, are you?" Pear-boy barely raised his voice.

"Relax. It's just a joke. But seriously, those kids wouldn't be ready for these exams anyway-"

Standing in front of the exit was a serious-faced young man, no older than Haku. His expression frightened Chojuro, but it was his killing intent that concerned Zabuza. He carried himself with a quiet confidence that revealed his mind and abilities were years beyond what his body revealed. A modified Konoha protector covered his face as a cowl and had two metal strips that framed the sides of his face.

"You are the Trio that came in from the Mist. I have been assigned to keep an eye on you. The rules are simple: where one of you goes, all three of you go. Where all three of you go, I will follow. Break the first rule, and we will throw you out of the exams and ship you home in irons. And you can count on the fact that I will always be nearby."

As he disappeared in a flash of smoke, Zabuza thought he knew the way he had gone, but Haku and pear-boy were both looking in different directions. Suddenly, Zabuza realized that the jounin spying on them had all gone as well.

Deciding to call it a day, they picked up some food at the local market before heading to their apartment. Right inside the door was a gift basket laden with pears and peaches. On the handle was a card that read, "I will always be watching. -Yamato." 

* * *

The impact sent Sakon flying into the metal bars of the cage on the far side of the arena, and the final member of the Sound Four was down for the count. Anko opened her fanged mouth and felt hunger like she had never before experienced. Slithering over the unconscious bodies of her fallen foes, she hissed and could see the warm blood in their veins light up the darkness.

Her senses were broken by the sound of light applause from above. "Splendid Anko, your finest control yet. Now, change back."

She shook her head, not understanding the command. This feeling of completion, of perfection, was so powerful. Why would any change be necessary?

"You can't stay in this form Anko. Change back." The command was more pointed, for forceful.

Shying away, Anko sunk down into her coils and hid her face. Then the strangest sensation of feeling, her skin gliding across her scales. Fear gripped her as memory came rushing back. The pain of the blows, fighting for her life, releasing the hidden seal of heaven.

"Good you remember now." A hidden snake came from Orochimaru's sleeve and picked up Anko's robe where she had discarded it. Kneeling beside her, he placed it over her shoulders before making hand seals. When finished a rune of chakra floated above his pointer finger. As he pressed it into her neck she felt her entire body alive with pain, it was as though she died and was reborn once again. When it was over she felt herself gently kicking her legs.

"Those are my legs, aren't they?" Anko said, as though learning about her body for the first time.

"I didn't think it existed." Kissing her forehead, Orochimaru lifted her in his arms and carried her from the arena. Looking over his shoulder she saw medics rush in and attend to the people lying on the ground.

She felt so light as she was laid down on her bed; no it was a bed in the infirmary. Her eyes felt so heavy. A soft smoke filled her nostrils and she felt two soft, familiar bodies on her. One coiled around her neck while the other lay on her chest below her breasts.

In the distance she heard her father speak, he was speaking with someone else though.

"This is more than I had ever expected. You have three days to get her well, after that we're moving out to Konoha. You make your final arrangements with Misumi and Yoroi; I have to deal with those Kusagakure clowns."

Recognizing the other man as Kabuto, Anko felt her mind return though her fatigue did not fade. Sitting in a chair to her right was Kimimaro.

"I heard what happened, how much do you remember?"

"Barely anything. It's still a blur."

"Sleep then. All the time you've spent by my side in my hospital bed, I figure I can stay one night watching over you."

No longer fighting for consciousness, Anko drifted off to sleep and dreamed of snakes.


	5. Chapter 5

As he waited for the paint on his mask to dry, Haku spared a moment to look at the third round of Zabuza and Chojuro's daily spar. Despite Zabuza's short temper with the youth, it was obvious that the constant goading was intended to push Chojuro to challenge Zabuza; increasing his self confidence and skill level. Chojuro had won none of their nearly sixty duels, but it was amazing that he did not even have a single scratch on him.

Going back to his sewing, Haku was tailoring his new clothes; a fine light/ice-blue cloth he had purchased in town was going to be more form fitting than his previous sea blue kimono. Doing the larger sections on a sewing machine back at the apartment, he had to do the smaller embroidery and details by hand. The humorous juxtaposition of a sewing needle in the presence of two of the Seven Swordsmen was not lost on him.

As he finished detailing the collar with a multicolored thread, Chojuro leaped through the air with a massive overhead strike. Zabuza defended, but chakra seeping from Chojuro's Hiramekarei grabbed the Kubikiribocho and tore it out of Zabuza's grasp. Lunging forward, Zabuza stabbed with his hand. The thrust barely missed Chojuro's head, but it distracted him from his sword arm. Chopping with his other hand, Zabuza knocked the sword from Chojuro's grip and with a leg sweep had the younger boy on the ground.

Each got up and grabbed their sword before starting a new round. Checking the mask's base coat, Haku was pleased to find it dry. Lifting the blank mask Haku thought about his previous mask design. The red wave patterns were often used by Kiri Hunter-Nin; but were those designs what he wanted, was that who he was? Gathering a small amount of moisture Haku formed ice crystals in the air in front of him. It had taken him years learn how his Kekkai Genkai worked, but he had never grown comfortable with it. The cold reminded him too much of his family; it represented a part of his life that still haunted him.

Picking up the jet black paint Haku began with three geometric patterns on the side of his mask that would be over the left of his face. Letting the water-based, quick-drying lacquer set a moment, Haku picked up the white paint and began highlighting the edges, implying a light source and hinting at reflections. With a wet brush, he traced lines in the three patterns he now knew to be arms of a snowflake. Mixing the black with a light-blue gave it the snowflake a dark and chilling tone. A final sealant would later be applied to protect the design.

Not needing to look up to know how the latest round had ended, Haku was surprised to announce a tie. Chojuro's head was in the guillotine trap, and the sword itself was buried in the side of a tree. Zabuza's situation was similarly precarious, for Choujro's sword held him pinned to the ground and unable to move without injury. Grabbing each weapon in turn, Haku freed his teammates and helped them to their feet.

"I think that will be enough for today?" Haku returned to his mask and applied the final sealant. "Yamato san mentioned something about us receiving our test information when we got back."

"Speaking of that guy, I think I finally have him figured out." Zabuza smiled and spun his sword over his head before slicing the trunk of the tree Chojuro was pinned to. "Come on out then." He said confidently.

A popping and splintering sound came from the trunk of the tree as Yamato emerged from the wood. "You called?"

"Don't bother making us wait, just tell us the details now."

"Very well." Pulling a notebook from his pocket, he produced three passes to the exam. "In two days time be at that location at that time." Making a series of hand seals that Haku didn't recognize, the tree that Zabuza had cut bent over to where the top of it had been cut off. The wood seemed to fuse together and it stood upright, undamaged. And with a puff of smoke, Yamato vanished.

Briefly stopping by their apartment, Haku changed into his new robes and mask. Zabuza never thought much of his appearance before, but Haku had noticed his friend was more self conscious about how he looked after their meeting with the Mizukage. Knowing that everyone's eyes were on him had produced a change. The "Demon of the Mist" had to look the part. A smoky-red shirt with dark gray pants and camouflage armbands were simple, but made the young swordsman look deadly serious.

On their way to their daily report to the Kiri ambassador, a strange scene caught Haku's attention. Taking a stealth position, they observed the scene. "Who wants to get closer?" Zabuza challenged. Chojuro disappeared with a flash and hid behind a fence; as heavy and clumsy as Chojuro complained his sword was it didn't stop him from being lighter on his feet than anyone had a right to be.

"Three teams: Suna, Oto, and Konoha… it's Naruto kun's team." Haku was surprised at the situation. One of the Suna Nin was obviously bullying a kid from Konoha. The team from Otogakure was staying out of sight. The Uchiha boy was sitting on a nearby tree, with the third Suna Nin hiding from sight. Sasuke was hefting a stone, looking ready to throw. "What are you thinking Zabuza san?"

"It's obvious they're here for the exams like us, but something else is equally obvious. The two Suna down in the alley are obviously chuunin level, but the one over by the tree is something else."

"Gaara of the desert. I've managed to read reports on his character. They say he uses a strange sand jutsu and that he's never been injured on a mission."

"It's those eyes. Those strange sleepless eyes. The eyes of a killer who knows no rest."

"That's Naruto kun down there, isn't it?" Haku asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. He's a monster of another kind as well… Haku." Zabuza continued in the hand sign language of Kirigakure. _Tonight we lose Yamato. We have some research to do._

The scene finished playing out, and the Suna Nin left. Once out of sight Zabuza disappeared in a puff of mist and began walking opposite to the Suna Nin. Neither he nor Gaara altered their gaze, but the tension was thick as they passed one another. Zabuza finished by getting Chojuro and the three continued to the Kiri consulate.

Making a small ice mirror in his mask above his eye allowed Haku to see other ice mirrors he had formed around the scene. The mirrors were invisible and would evaporate in a matter of minutes, but they made for an effective surveillance network. As they passed the park where the Sound Nin were staying, he saw that the young kunoichi was far more interested in them than in the Konoha group still in the alley.

The ambassador was a stern man, but fair. Handing over a report from the Mizukage, he gave Chojuro the daily allowance and tried saying something along the lines of "Stay out of trouble" but his fear of Zabuza made him trip over his words. Grabbing the letter, Zabuza glanced over it before tearing it up and setting it afire on the ambassador's lamp.

"Sentimental rubbish." The ambassador nearly fell over himself trying to prevent a fire in his office. "Let's go." Zabuza turned to the others and led them to a supply room he knew to be free from surveillance.

"She suspects something big. The Kazekage is scheduled to attend from Suna, his son Gaara is at the exams, and she just sent us some major news about Otogakure."

"That's one of the newer Hidden Villages. The Land of Sound only founded its Hidden Village ten years ago." Chojuro said, unsure of his answer.

"Yes, and in those ten years no other village has been able to accept a job from within the Land of Sound, and no Shinobi from Otogakure has taken a job outside of the Land of Sound."

"So these exams are a way to bring Otogakure out of obscurity?" Chojuro concluded.

"That's obvious idiot." Zabuza downgraded Chojuro's name. "The Mizukage wouldn't write a letter about something we already knew. The news is something more, something… unexpected."

"About the nature of the Sound village?" Haku had his suspicions, but he lacked the intelligence resources the Mizukage had.

"The letter said that they found a double agent working for Otogakure in Kirigakure. After hours of 'persuasion' they finally got the man talking. It took them days to extract and confirm the information, but they finally did. The leader of Otogakure… is Orochimaru."


	6. Chapter 6

The tunnels under Konoha were perfect or snakes: dark, warm, and full of small rodents. A maze of tunnels that were surprisingly well lit and guarded with the secret elite guard, Konoha's Root. One of the more clever parts of the construction were the columns with hidden doors, most likely hiding ladders which led up to the surface. After ten minutes of being led by a cloaked man no older than herself, Anko grew weary of the run around she was being given.

"Are you trying to insult my intelligence?"

"Whatever are you talking about?" The boy's voice confirmed his age, and the lack of emotional tone confirmed his Root training.

"We've passed this junction before. It would be a mistake for you to take me for a fool."

"Let her in." A deep voice came from behind an adjacent wall. The grating sound of stone sliding on stone came from behind, but oddly the sound went no farther than the room, it did not echo down the hallways.

Two more root members appeared on either side of her. "We know you were searched before, but we must ask you to take off your traveling cloak before you enter." Tilting back her head the hood of the robe fell to her shoulders. Tossing her hair side to side she shrugged her shoulders and let the uncomfortable, heavy wool cloak fall to the ground. Bai and Qing appeared from the folds of her white kimono and tightened it over her shoulders. The mesh shirt underneath had stayed dry amidst the damp air of the tunnels.

Past a second stone wall barrier lay a very traditional looking hut. A small waterfall garden featured the clanking sound of a bamboo fountain. Standing by a small pond was the man she had come to see. Danzo stood with a bag of bread held under his hidden right arm, feeding the koi with his free left hand.

"And what business brings you here this night, young mistress of the snakes?" Danzo's tone was overly formal, but had no hint of disrespect.

"Father sent me to obtain the last few files you have been holding for him." Danzo dumped the remainder of the bag into the pond and motioned for her to follow him inside. The hut's exterior belied the interior, which was completely modern. Each room held at least one Root guard, giving every impression that this was Root's headquarters. Down another flight of stairs, past a set of seals that required a living blood signature from Danzo to release, lay the vault.

On the table of the vault lay two cylinders, a dozen file folders, and three scrolls. "This is all that I owe Orochimaru. Once you leave with this tell him that this concludes all of our dealings. I am through working with that snake."

"That 'snake' was the one who told you about this attack. He just saved the lives of all of your Root members who would have gotten involved."

"Oh? And his plan is still to kill Sarutobi? Should I also be grateful that he intends to slay the Hokage?"

"You should not underestimate the extent of my knowledge because of my youth."

"Very well. Our business is done."

"No. Your business with Orochimaru is done."

"...I'm listening."

"I don't ask for much. I just need you to find someone for me."

* * *

"I tell you, this is no place for rookies like you." A konoha genin tossed a smaller youth to the ground. The boy bumped against Zabuza's shin. It was the last straw in the trail of his patience.

"Okay idiot boy," Chojuro squirmed at the nickname, the constant goading was starting to take effect, "tell me what's wrong with this sight."

"Despite what the sign says, 'Room 302', this is the second floor. It's an interesting genjutsu."

"Yes, and these two punks aren't even here in front of us..." Throwing the Kubikiribocho over his shoulder down the hallway, Zabuza ran after the sword catching it right as it slammed in-between a double sliding door. Opening it revealed two Konoha Chuunin hiding from sight, one of whom paled at the sight of Zabuza standing over them. "...here they are."

"The information you gave us was false," Haku chimed in, leaning back against the wall, "or this is intended to be a preliminary test. Where is the real testing center?"

One of the problems with effective intimidation is that in cases of even simple interrogation more information will be given than is wanted. The Chuunin repeated the details about the Chuunin exams multiple stages. They went on to state that any teams that passed the first stage of the test but failed in the second stage were allowed to skip the first stage in later attempts. After a few minutes of stammering, Zabuza got them back on topic by removing the Kubikiribocho from the wall with a violent tug.

Normally his mood wasn't so foul, but one piece of information he had found last night still bothered him. That Kakashi had actually endorsed his team for the Chuunin exams. 'Still, do I have any place to object? They're too inexperienced for this, and I'm too qualified for it.'

Finally arriving at the room, Zabuza found a whole crop of Konoha rookies, looking as green as the forests they lived in. Standing with his back to the door was none other than Uzumaki Naruto, who was pointing at everyone in the room and shouting at the top of his lungs "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I won't lose to you bastards! You got that?"

Lifting the Kubikiribocho, Zabuza casually touched the back of his sword on Naruto's shoulder. "Hey kid. You shouldn't brag so much." A movement in the crowd caught his eye, more than Naruto's reaction. The team from Otogakure were moving in fast, making a move on a nearby silver-haired genin with glasses.

And ice mirror appeared in the air, catching two kunai that were thrown. Flipping the sword in his hands, Zabuza extended his grip and caught the hand of the second Sound Nin. Twisting the blade, he was able to change the path of the Oto nin and force him to the ground. A mysterious device on his arm prevented any flesh wound, a pity.

Haku's miniature ice mirror floated towards him before dissolving in midair. The thin kunai fell into his open hand. "I've always wanted to see Otogakure's kunai variation, thank you."

"Za-Zabuza!" Naruto finally turned around to assess the scene, which had happened faster than he could follow.

"What are you doing here." The pink-haired girl spoke up from the side.

"By the looks of things, I'd say we are the last ones here for the test."

"Let me up you, aagh!" The Sound nin on the ground found his protest harder to continue when Zabuza twisted his sword. A little more pressure and he could force the arm from its socket, but the examiners might frown on that. Slackening his grip, he allowed the sound genin to salvage his pride and get up under his own power.

"We are here for the Chuunin exams, that should be obvious."

"You are above Chuunin level." The silver-haired genin examined. "Not only that but Kirigakure doesn't often participate in the-" A flash of smoke at the front of the room interrupted the conversation.

"Quiet down you worthless bastards!" A group of two dozen Chuunin appeared, a rather motley crew of what appeared to be special operations and reserve units. People not sent out on official duty because their skill sets were either too valuable to waste on menial jobs, or people who were too specialized and could not function doing anything else.

The man in front, with a prominent scar running from his left eye to his lower jaw continued speaking. "Thanks for waiting. I am Morino Ibiki, the examiner for the Chuunin Selection Exam's first test." Extending his arm, he addressed specific groups. "Hidden Sound Team, don't cause trouble."

The young man with the straw coat spoke back, "I apologize, this is our first time. We got carried away."

"Bah. Oh and Hidden Mist Team, don't think too highly of yourselves. I'll say this right now, there will be no fighting without express permission from your examiner. And even then, killing your opponent will not be tolerated. Any of you mongrels that disobey will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?" Silence from the room gave him his answer.

Morino went on to describe the first phase of the test, a written exam with randomized seating. Taking a seat, Zabuza locked eyes with Morino and did not stare away the entire time. The close quarters of the room, the positioning of the other examiners, the obvious plants... this test was more about keeping cool under pressure than anything else.

Waiting for Haku to finish his test was the perfect time to size up Morino. A stern man, strong. But it was the strength of holding in pain, of long endurance rather than brute force. Those eyes seemed to weigh every fact before him, a casual dismissal from his gaze was high praise as stares that lasted too long silently condemned 'You don't belong here.'

After ten minutes, a thin sheet of ice appeared beneath Zabuza's test sheet. The transparency effect of the paper showed the slightly darker shades of ice that held the answers. Taking five minutes to copy the answers, Zabuza sat back and waited for the hour to end. The occasional question from a clueless genin and the predictable outbursts from Naruto made for an entertaining watch. But it was not the eyes of the examiners nor Morino's gaze that he felt; rather the stares were from all over the room: the Sound nin, the Uchiha boy, even from Gaara. Yet oddly the one that felt the most troubling was the stare he saw on the silver-haired genin's face. There was something evil behind those smiling eyes of his.


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you thinking about Zabuza san?" Securing the Hiramekarei to his back, Chojuro waited for an answer. Sure enough, as soon as the boy's hand drifted from the grip of his sword it went back, sensing Zabuza's killing intent. The First exam was over and the last to arrive were also the last to leave.

"I'm surprised at Blondie's dumb luck." Removing the handle from the Kubikiribocho, he fixed it to his back as he watched Morino leave the room with a smirk that showed his enjoyment in frustrating the entire class. "I was watching him, he didn't write down a single answer on that page of his and his team still passed."

"You mean Naruto kun's team, don't you?" Haku adjusted his snowflake mask and smoothed his robe as he led the way out of the classroom and in the direction of the second test. "I was rather impressed with the way he stood up to Morino san; he possesses a remarkable spirit."

Not wanting to discuss further, Zabuza followed Haku to the forest outside of town. It was a good twenty kilometers, an easy enough commute. However after being in contact with Yamato, he wasn't sure if he could ever look at a tree the same way again. Haku, always with a talent of being able to read his mind said, "Earlier today Yamato san stopped by and said we were on our own during the duration of the exams. Fail or succeed, he won't be watching us for a few days."

Strangely it was Chojuro who raised his voice. "When you and Haku senpai went out the other night I took the liberty of going out on my own. I had heard rumors of a hidden library underneath a tailoring shop and well… I found it." The boy sounded unsure of himself, despite his accomplishments; but the fact that he took initiative was somewhat impressive.

"Find anything important?"

"There was a file on Yamato with some rather strange information. He passed the chuunin exams at age six, and it mentioned a connection with the first Hokage, but the reference was in a sealed file and the jounin I put under a genjutsu to access the files couldn't open it."

"Keep doing things like that; and I might actually come to tolerate you pear boy." The kid smiled his sharp teeth and nodded. Chojuro was awkward, but he did have some potential.  
Arriving at the chuunin exam field, a jounin reintroduced himself for the late arrivals. "I'll keep this brief for our latecomers. My name is Yamashiro Aoba. This second stage of the test has three parts: survival, team based skirmishes, and the ability to follow orders.

"Behind me is the 'Forest of Death'," Aoba motioned to the forest behind him surrounded by a small chain fence, "you are going to be spending your next five days in there, so get used to the sight. We had an unprecedented eighty-four people pass the first round of testing, but that number will be cut down dramatically. Each team will receive one of two scrolls, either: 'Scroll of Heaven' or 'Scroll of Earth'. Your mission will be to obtain the scroll that you lack from another team before you get to the tower in the center of the forest.

"There are no rules in the team to team combat. However, any team that loses a member will be disqualified from the remainder of the exams. People will die in this round of testing, make no mistake. For this reason, we are now passing out consent forms." When a chuunin examiner handed the form to Zabuza, he decided to do the same thing he did on his shinobi registration card. Biting his thumb, he pressed a bloody fingerprint to the paper as his signature. Aoba continued talking about details for the test, while teams who had completed their forms were lining up to get their scroll from a tent.  
Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, but there was a tension in the air that even managed to shut up Naruto. A gash along his cheek had to have been made recently, yet it looked nearly healed. 'That boy is not what he seems… but then again who is?' He asked to himself.

Upon signing up at the tent, Team Kirigakure was officially assigned to Gate 10 and given a Scroll of Earth. Taking the time to fix the handle on the Kubikiribocho, Zabuza laid the blade across his knees as he sat down on the ground and waited for the test to begin.

* * *

The angle of the sun on the leaves told Anko that the test must have started by now. Focusing on a scroll in front of her, she unfurled it until a map of the forest of death lay central on the page. Placing a small inkwell next to the page, she made a very precise sequence of hand seals that left her fingertips glowing. Placing the fingertips of her left hand on her left temple she focused on the senses of the spy snakes that had been placed near all of the entrances to the forest. Their whispers and hisses filled her mind and dipping the fingers of her right hand into the ink sent small snake shapes slithering across the page, leaving no ink trail behind until they settled on the page writing out the names and teams that were assigned to each gate.

"Release." With a sigh, she felt the forty-four snakes all disappear into the earth and return to the realm of the snakes. Even a few weeks ago, it was hard for her to have a mental connection with one snake at a distance; but after unlocking the final Seal of Heaven, any technique involving snakes felts stronger, almost like she was part snake. "Then again, maybe I am. It's hard to tell anymore."  
Looking down at the page, she saw that the Uchiha's team was coming in through gate 12 and Orochimaru disguised as a Nin from Kusagakure would be coming in from gate 15. "I should report to him before we go and find the Uchiha brat."

Finding him was easy, even with the new face he wore, somehow she could feel it when snakes were being summoned and that sense led her strait to her father. "Your timing as always is perfect Anko. I just sent these two off after the dear team we're tracking. They won't go out of their way to attack the rookies, but they will stop them from going too far off the course we have planned for them. What do you have to tell me?"

"I got the supplies from Danzo. The DNA samples you left behind, the research on the second Hokage, and the other journals and jutsu he was holding for you."

"Your work is excellent as always Daughter." His long tongue left his mouth and licked off his blood from the summoning tattoo on his arm. "Before we go, I've decided to change the way we're going to approach this. It may very well be that I'm wasting my time with Sasuke. I will test him with a low level genjutsu. If he can't even manage to break out of that, I will kill him and just take his eyes.

"However if he manages to free himself from my illusion of death, you will take over as his predator. Push him easy at first, wait until his sharingan awaken. Once you see them you are free to use whatever techniques you like, but your job is to observe his potential, not kill him. If he survives your test, he will then have to survive the crucible of the cursed Seal of Heaven."

"I follow and obey father."

* * *

It had been a good hour since the test had started, making it fifty minutes since ways had parted. Though this was a team battle, they had all decided that they needed their own personal space after the proximity of Yamato over the past week. Zabuza did not miss the company; this forest intrigued him and it felt oddly comfortable. Still, he cursed his luck that their team had not started off next to one of the rivers. All that water would have made for interesting times.

Kneeling down, he cleared his thoughts and sensed the water table down nearly ten meters down. From his personal training he had found it possible to raise water from below the surface, but the technique took nearly ten seconds; and ten seconds was a lifetime for a shinobi in a battle to the death.

"Wait a second. Those look like…" On the ground were tracks that looked like they came from a giant snake. A faint scream filled the forest, a familiar scream. "And so passes Naruto." Remembering the point of the exams, and the scroll of earth Haku carried, it occurred to him that it might be possible to find the scroll of heaven with Naruto's team.

After running for a few minutes, there was a faint impression in the earth that again caught his eye. "Not snake tracks… an earth elemental jutsu? Where is Haku and his perfect analysis when you need it?"

The faint sounds of speech came in nearby, and for once caution won out over pride and after making the hand seals a low fog spread along the ground turning into a fine mist that spread upwards until it was over his head, encasing him in invisibility. Once in the mist, he did another sequence of seals, slightly altering the technique before moving onward.

Before too long his sight finally came in contact with a rather surprising scene. Three… no, four shinobi made up the play. On a raised tree branch were Sasuke and the girl… Sakuru… no Sakura facing down one of the other Nin from the starting area. He wasn't recognizable, must have been in the other test crowd. The two kids were shaking, obviously caught in a genjutsu.

What surprised him was the fourth shinobi, a young kunoichi, who watched the scene with intent eyes. Two snakes circles around her neck, white and green, a living, twisted necklace. Her dark hair was tied behind her head, in sharp contrast to her plain, white robe. Despite knowing about his invisibility, he still nearly jumped when he saw her eyes pass over the mist on the ground. Above the man moved in for the kill, and her eyes returned to the scene.

Drawing his sword, he kept his eyes on the others and thought to himself, 'Now we wait, and see who makes the mistake of acting first.'


	8. Chapter 8

'It begins.' Zabuza thought to himself as he saw Sasuke raise his kunai. In a surprising show of self-control the boy stabbed himself in his thigh, sparking enough pain to break free from the genjutsu. Grabbing Sakura, he jumped off to the side and into the forest. Immediately the girl took off after them into the trees leaving the lone shinobi on the tree.

"Why don't you come up here so I can get a look at you?" He called from the treetop. Reaching for the Kubikiribocho he hesitated a moment before pulling down his left armband. A swipe of blood sealed the blade into the tattoo and it vanished from his hands.

'Even if he does know I'm here, he wouldn't be able to recognize the Kubikiribocho in the mist. I don't think I'll show all my cards just yet.' Releasing the hidden mist technique's seals caused the mist to fade in an instant. Zabuza jumped up the tree, landing on the platform of interwoven branches; stable or not, they were testament to the twist of nature this forest was famous for.

"Ah, a Mist Nin and young too." The man walked over to the spot the Uchiha child had stabbed his leg. Touching his fingers to the drops of blood, his long tongue licked the crimson stain from his fingertips. "I suppose we have enough time to play."

"Time enough to play, time enough to fight, time enough to die."

"Aren't you the dramatic one?" As he stood up, Zabuza noted the man's casual stance. It was not the stance of a man sizing up for a fight. There was something about his posture that hinted at feminine hips, which made no sense whatsoever. A looseness to his muscles made Zabuza think twice about the attitude of this man; he was facing an assassin at rest.

Zabuza held his hands together in a special seal that Haku had developed. To others it would look like a focus aid, but it was really five seals held together in a tight balance. Concentrating chakra in different fingers would activate different seals. Anyone looking would have no idea the complexity, or the type of seals being performed before their very eyes. Knowing he would need another few seconds before the technique was ready, he thought it best to use his time as a distraction and for intelligence.

"So how did you see through the Hidden Mist technique? I thought I had it perfect."

"You nearly did." A snake, easily half a meter thick and twenty feet long coiled around the man's feet. "I've seen the Hidden Mist technique before. It's only flaw is that the temperature of the mist is too low, it does not obscure the body heat of the people inside." Brushing his hand against the face of the snake, against the animal's heat receptors. "But your alteration was clever; you merely raised the temperature of the mist to cloud your heat signature. I had to rely on feeling you by the steps you took, and that was by no means simple."

Releasing his hands, Zabuza jumped to the side and stabbed his hand through the head of a snake that rose from the tree below him. The large python made a leap at him, but one well placed kunai made short work of the serpent as he jumped down to a lower branch. Looking directly below him he saw the man standing on the underside of the same branch as him. "You have some skill boy, but let me save you the time to say that you are hopelessly outmatched."

"Is that so?" Jumping down to the forest floor, he saw the man disappear from above and land behind him. He was faster than Zabuza, but it was nothing too troubling. "From the snakes you use, I'd say you fancy yourself an Earth elemental user. Tell me then what is different about the ground we stand on?"

Slapping his hands together for the final seal, Zabuza slammed a fist down into the ground. The thin layer of earth shattered to his touch and like a sheet of ice over a vast lake the ground began to shatter around them exposing the groundwater raised from deep below. In seconds, all earth in a two hundred meter radius had been transformed into a small lake punctuated by trees.

Rather than fear, excitement filled the man's eyes. "You are beginning to fascinate me young man."

* * *

The girl was of no interest to Anko. Sasuke spoke words of encouragement, attempting to rouse her from her fear, still half frozen by his own. Rather than rush in, Anko stood observing them.

"Why do you hesitate Anko?" Qing rolled her head side to side in an attempt to see what she though Anko was.

"Father is interested in the Uchiha. It is pretty clear he wants to make the whelp his vessel one day, but he needs more training that what he currently has."

"Is that what really worries you?" Bai said on her left shoulder. The snake's underbelly intentionally rubbed against her seal mark. "You wonder what the seal will do to him."

"We know you ignore the pain, but we also felt you wince every time Orochimaru tested the curse seal in his experiments."

"And so you think, 'a quick death for the Uchiha would be an act of kindness.' Are we right?"

"No," Anko replied to her friends, "you're wrong. I'm not that kind." Jumping from the tree Anko threw Sakura to the ground before punching Sasuke as hard as she could. The impact sent him into a tree, breaking the external layer of bark. Rolling with the impact, he turned and began running up the tree, reaching his hand into his supply pouch as he ascended.

On her left shoulder Qing hissed in the snake tongue. It was a sharp cry of pain and anger. One of the giant snakes Orochimaru had summoned had just died. 'The jinchuuriki is loose. That's not s surprise.'

Extending her arms, her snakes coiled into place for their transformations. Qing's green scales grew hard and her form split up as she made Shadow Clones. Once fused together, the jade gauntlet protected her arm up past the elbow. In her left hand, Bai twisted as her features vanished in smoke until the object in her grip was the white serpent tonfa.

A shower of kunai came down from overhead; those were easily blocked by the gauntlet. The distinct metallic sound of wire cable came from the side. Two overthrown kunai had planted into the tree behind her. The canopy overhead was an ideal place to hide, but the Uchiha had made a mistake. Normal bunshin clones were useful distractions, but did not give off the same impressions of shadow as a human body. His real location became easy to pinpoint once she saw through the shadows.

He was hunched over, watching the forest below him in shock that he lost track of the one he was looking at. With the cutting blade of her tonfa, Anko cut the wire strings attached to the fuma shuriken at the moment she kicked Sasuke from the treetop. As he fell, even more wires sprang from his hands, attached to his fingertips. Pulling his hands apart he sprung his second trap, a razor wire web that sliced the treetop into splinters. The action also served to slow his descent as he landed next to Sakura.

A snakeskin escape technique was necessary to squeeze out of the wire trap at the last second. Landing with grace, Anko found Sasuke facing her with determination in his eyes.

"Afraid to die little one?"

"'Little one'? You're no older than we are."

"I have lived a thousand lives more than you."

"You know nothing about me!" Charging forward, Sasuke tried a fairly standard Leaf taijutsu style. She blocked a high chop with her gauntlet, but Sasuke's hands twisted and tried to get a hold of it. It was a bad mistake. The snakeheads on her gauntlet sprang to life and bit his hand. The act put him off balance, allowing her to kick him in his wounded thigh. Pulling back on her gauntlet, she rammed the butt of her tonfa into his gut before releasing him.

As she swung the tonfa blade around to stab Sasuke a shuriken flew in and hit the weapon out of her hand. A cartwheel and back flip allowed her to reacquire the weapon and dodge the other attacks. Sure enough, standing on a tree branch above them was Uzumaki Naruto.

"I'm sorry Sasuke. I forgot the code-word."

"Great job Naruto!" Sakura yelled from the side.

"Naruto. I know you think you're all cool, trying to save us like this, but forget it!" Yelling cut the fear in Sasuke's voice, but it was still present. "Run away. She's on a whole other level."

Resting her tonfa against her collarbone, Anko stared back at each of the young shinobi in turn. No older than her, but they were all weak; they were so soft. Too soft to withstand her, let alone the storm that was coming.

"You may run, that is what prey does when pursued by a predator after all. But running will not save you… nothing can."


	9. Chapter 9

In the growing darkness the lake created by Zabuza's jutsu had the appearance of ink. It made the man in front of him stand out more, what with his tan robe and wide-brimmed hat that caught the moonlight. Standing up, Zabuza rubbed his hands and cracked his neck. If Haku's estimations were correct this jutsu would last ten minutes until the natural state would begin to reset and the waters would descend back into the earth.

"This is quite the impressive jutsu young man. I'd almost go so far to say that it is an A rank. What do you call it?"

"Chosuichi." Zabuza circled the man and made note of the nearby trees, in particular which trees would be ideal to run to as part of an escape route.

"How deep do you suppose it is, fifteen meters?" The man's estimate was too accurate, the ground reserves made for a lake approximately fourteen meters deep.

"More than enough to drown a man." Reaching behind his back, Zabuza pretended to grab his kunai but made seals for water clones as he did so. Three water clones stayed submerged and without form, for reserve purposes. Pulling out two kunai with special tags on them, he charged towards the man's right side.

Beneath his opponent a water snake was summoned in a cloud of smoke, standing on its back he was able to glide through the water as it swam. Throwing his first kunai activated its explosive tag; a normal kunai hidden in his arm band followed it through the air. A kunai from the Kusagakure Nin cut the tag from the kunai; he then caught the kunai and threw it back to intercept the second kunai Zabuza had thrown.

"Sloppy kunai moves, the explosive tag was a poor choice." The snake cut through the water like a pen gliding in the hands of a master calligrapher; on course to Zabuza its fangs were bared. But the Kusa Nin had made a mistake. Already the "explosive tag" had sunk and was beginning to stir the surrounding water.

"That was not an explosive tag, idiot." Activating the seal on the tag sent the whirlpool into overdrive. A special water walking technique kept Zabuza standing on his feet, but the serpent struggled against the current and was eventually sucked into the depths. The Kusa nin jumped from the beast's head and managed to catch a third kunai from Zabuza before it struck him in the head, a dangling tag from the kunai caught his attention too late. Water leaped up from all his sides enclosing him in a water prison. A Water clone rose next to the sphere of water and concentrated on maintaining the technique.

For some strange reason Zabuza could not figure, the man still had a strange look of confidence. Opening his mouth in the water caused a snake to appear from his throat. The snake pushed against the edge of the water prison but it did not yield to the pressure. Then the snake's mouth opened and a straight, double-edged sword shot from its mouth, stabbing the water clone through the heart and dissolving the technique.

The sword fell from the snake's mouth and lay on the surface of the water, waiting for the Kusa Nin to pick it up.

"We should drop pretenses young man. Do you know the name of this sword?"

There was a strange tightness in Zabuza's throat but he was felt constrained to answer. "Yes… it is the Kusanagi."

"And you are Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Where is it? Let me see the Kubikiribocho."

Releasing the seal on his arm, Zabuza's sword appeared in his hands. Though it felt more like his arms were complete to feel its weight again. Taking a deep breath, Zabuza killed all his distractions and focused on his next cut. It would cost him another clone, but it would be worth it.

"As long as we're dropping pretenses-" He moved, faster than he had ever felt. Perhaps it was a subconscious attempt on his part to impress the legendary sword now before his eyes. A water clone rose from the water behind the Kusa Nin and slashed low, getting him to jump out of the way. The retaliatory kick sent the water clone flying into a nearby tree, breaking it back into water; simultaneously the man's other leg kicked the Kusanagi up from the water and it flew into his hand. He spun in the air and met Zabuza sword to sword, but the angle's matched up in Zabuza's favor. The Kusanagi caught in the lower, inward curved edge of the sword, giving just the right angle for Zabuza to slice the skin on the man's face.

Pushing against one another, they each jumped back until they were three meters apart. There was a tearing sound followed by a wet flopping sound as something hit the water. The man had torn his face off; rather he had been forced to reveal his true face. His sinister gold eyes shone in the dark.

"So it's true then. You are here… Orochimaru." To prevent the fear from gripping him, Zabuza tightened the grip on his sword and stared back at the snake.

* * *

'This complicates matters. The curse seal needs a body nearly spent of chakra in order to properly take hold.' Anko remembered Orochimaru explain the nature of the technique and his theories on the failed experiments. The cursed chakra would integrate with a person's natural chakra network, rewriting it; but any leftover chakra would fight against the process and kill them at best and drive them insane at worst. 'I do not need to deal with the demon boy right now.'

The odd part was that she did not feel Orochimaru's presence anywhere nearby. With the way he talked about the Uchiha prowess, it did not seem right that he miss this. Her senses came back to her at the tail end of an argument between Sasuke and Naruto. Ignoring their words, it was something about Sasuke offering the Scroll of Heaven in exchange for their lives and Naruto berating the Uchiha for a coward. In other circumstances it would have been amusing.

"Qing, I need you to make a five elemental seal. The nine-tails brat will be a problem if he gains the beast's power again."

In her mind, Anko felt the presence of the remaining great snake Orochimaru had summoned. With a hand seal and stomp of her foot she de-summoned it. She intended to teach these children a valuable lesson, that the real monsters of the world are humans.

Spikes of stone rose from the ground, forcing the three genin to jump in the air to avoid impalement. Anko went for Naruto first.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" A clone appeared behind him in the air, and remarkably he used it as a platform to jump forward and engage Anko. Slashing with her Tonfa, the found it had been a clone and the real Naruto landed against a nearby tree. A second Shadow clone jumped at her from this position but twisting in the air she managed to throw it to the ground before she landed.

Two windmill shuriken landed in the ground to either side of her. "Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!" The flames sped down chakra conductive wires, but she dodged those by sinking into the earth and reappearing away from the fire. In retaliation she threw the white serpent tonfa at the tree, but Sasuke dodged it and landed on a branch higher up the tree.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Anko was now officially tired of this technique, after seeing him perform it so many times in the fight of the ice mirrors. A small army descended from above her, nearly twenty shadow clones, which was honestly impressive.

"Sen'ei Tajashu." As many snakes as shadow clones appeared from Anko's left sleeve, biting and crushing the clones until the real Naruto was at last revealed. A hidden snake had watched her back, preventing the youth from stabbing her in the back by wrapping around his feet and hands. "Clever boy to get so close." A second hidden snake pulled up his shirt, revealing a complex seal on his stomach as Orochimaru had speculated.

"It seems that when your emotions are heightened the kyuubi's chakra leaks through. Gogyō Fūin!" The fingertips of the jade serpent gauntlet ceased glowing as the seal set into Naruto's body. The serpents dropped him unconscious on the ground and Anko turned to face Sasuke. In her peripheral she saw Sakura grab a kunai and charge her, but the pink haired kunoichi did not see a snake hidden in the shadows created by the fire. A poisonous bite on her ankle took her down, screaming in pain.

"Your team is fallen Uchiha, now show me the limits of your pitiful bloodline." His eyes were glowing red in the light of the fire; it was no reflection of the flames. Staying in the tree his eyes seemed to take in every detail of the scene, though his focus was centered on Anko. Fear had dissolved in his eyes, leaving only a sort of frenzied understanding.

"Jinmetsu Sakusen" Expecting a fire jutsu, Anko intended to dodge, but the ground felt alive with heat. It was as though a heat from his eyes had burned the ground itself making Iwagakure no jutsu impossible. "Katon: Gōkakyū no-"

"Kai!" Before Anko allowed Sasuke to finish she released the seal on the technique she had prepared. The white serpent tonfa had been pumping specialized venom into the tree trunk below Sasuke. It released in an explosion which split the tree in half, sending Sasuke's fireball shooting into the sky. Noxious fumes rose from the splintered wood, paralyzing the Uchiha and causing him to fall to the earth.

His lungs were coughing out the non-lethal venom, but his half-paralyzed muscles made him choke on his own breath. The red slowly faded from his eyes, making him seem a mere child again.

"I don't know what is keeping father. He would have wanted to be here for this, to have the pleasure of giving you the curse seal himself." Walking over to the ruined tree, Anko picked up the tonfa and released the technique, returning her snakes to their normal forms. "Perhaps this is another test? I can give the Uchiha the curse seal myself, perhaps even better than father could since he said I had it perfect." Walking over to where Sasuke lay, she lifted him from the ground and pressed him against the trunk of another tree.

"A test of pain perhaps? To see how capable I am of giving pain to others. So be it then."

* * *

Jinmetsu Sakusen 燼滅作戦 (The Japanese term for "Scorched Earth") - A fire technique that burns the topsoil, preventing most earth-based techniques (particularly escaping through the earth).


	10. Chapter 10

"You didn't do it." Qing flicked her tail against Anko's ear as she fell through the trees. Behind her the brats of Team Kakashi lay unconscious in the trees, unmarred of neck.

"I'm not about to deprive father of his prize Uchiha. He wanted me to test the boy's skills and I have done just that." Landing on a branch to look back at the fires from the fight, Anko remembered staring into those red eyes. "There is something dark hidden in those eyes, of that I'm certain."

Bai tightened her grip on Anko's arm, signaling that she found the direction Orochimaru went to. Anko had figured he would be nearby to watch the fight. Something must have delayed him. "There is something strange about this forest. I can't sense the ground over there, it's too cold." A few moments later showed the reason for why Bai's senses were off.

"The ground has turned to water. This lake was not here before." Hesitantly jumping down the tree, but staying against the trunk, Anko placed her fingers in the water. No chakra reaction showed this was not an illusion or trap. Someone had actually created a lake. It was not the sound of water that caught her ears, but the ring of steel. Activating her eye of the serpent Anko peered into the darkness to enhance her normal night vision. By refining the technique she found that she could see human bodies in the night with the same detail as though they were illuminated by noonday sun.

"I don't believe it." Qing hissed. Sure enough, to Anko's surprise, she saw that it was Orochimaru fighting against the young man from the bridge. Momochi Zabuza, a seven swordsman was fighting one of the Sannin. The way he fought was incredible, the great sword passed between his hands with powerful, sweeping movements. As the sword changed hands, his free hand would make one-handed seals for water jutsu, which kept Orochimaru from moving towards land. Water Clones rose up, only to be cut down by the Kusanagi blade in Orochimaru's hands. Tendrils of water wrapped around Orochimaru's legs, pinning him in place as Zabuza charged forward. The Kusanagi flew of its own will from Orochimaru's hand and attempted to stab Zabuza from the side. The counter was brilliant; Zabuza raised his sword and spun it, twisting the Kusanagi in mid-flight, sending into the water. In the same motion, he dropped to a knee and sliced through Orochimaru's torso, only to see the body collapse as a hollow skin.

Orochimaru stood on the water next to the Kusanagi, the sword struggling to free itself from the water ropes which held it down. Making three hand seals caused Orochimaru's hand to burn with a flame which drove the water away as he reached for his sword.

"A master work young Momochi." Orochimaru gestured to the lake surrounding them. "There are greater water jutsu in the world, but those all rely on a user with incredible chakra to create the water themselves. This… is a work of art using water naturally in the world. Sadly it is at an end."

Anko looked to Zabuza and saw the signs of fatigue on his face. Too busy watching the fight she had not noticed the water below her had fallen by two meters. The lake was beginning to recede and Zabuza was focusing to keep it in place.

"Daughter. Come out from over there and meet this fine young man." Doing as she was told, Anko jumped over and landed next to Orochimaru. "When you brought me his file I didn't think much of him, but seeing him in person… I can see now how he managed to hold his own against 'Sharingan' Kakashi."

"If you're done with him, would you mind letting me finish?" Anko felt a rather exhilarating feeling as the water began to sink rapidly; earth rising up from below was being pushed back into its original place as the waters receded. "You still need to see to the Uchiha boy. I decided I didn't want to rob you of the pleasure of marking him yours."

"A considerate child, as always." Orochimaru stroked her hair before turning away. A hidden serpent emerged from his sleeve and began to swallow the Kusanagi. "Very well, he is yours to do with as you please. However I will expect a full report from you about young Sasuke later." Not even breaking his stride as he walked away, Orochimaru pulled off his brown robe and was wearing a jounin uniform from the Sound Village, his next disguise. In a moment, he was one with the darkness and gone.

"Well now, what am I supposed to do with you?" The ground had all but returned to normal, albeit much damper than it was before. "This is the second time you've proved yourself interesting. But I can't every well let you live either; first you survived Kakashi, now you've faced Orochimaru, you'll get it in your head that you're the equal of a Kage before long." At last the ground beneath Zabuza's feet dried and returned to normal, and the forest appeared to be completely normal again. Yet rather than appear tired from the strain of the technique, Zabuza's vitals had all returned to normal. It should not have been possible after a technique of that magnitude.

"Ah, I see surprise in your eyes. They glow in the dark you know." Standing upright, he looked tall for his age; though only fifteen he looked surprisingly mature. "Chosuichi is a technique that uses chakra to force the natural system into imbalance. Eventually the balance restores itself and if the user concentrates properly, they can regain most of the chakra that went into the jutsu."

'So that's why he was concentrating as the waters withdrew. He wasn't trying to delay the end of the technique; he was regaining his chakra.' Anko was surprised at this technique. If it was as he claimed it to be, it was easily an S class jutsu.

"Now you have a choice." Hefting his blade in towards her, Zabuza focused his eyes and every muscle in his body tightened with killing intent. "You can-" Something distracted him. His expression showed his focus shifted towards his left leg. Her eyes picked up a slight cold signature in his pocket that looked like a piece of ice. "Hmm… well never mind what I was going to say. What is your intention, girl?"

"Test of pain." Anko whispered to herself. Reaching up to her hair, she pulled out a senbon hairpin and threw it at Zabuza. As it went in flight she ran off to the side, and life seemed to slow before her eyes. Running to her right, she came towards Zabuza's left. Bai turned into the white tonfa in her grip, and Zabuza ducked to dodge the senbon and attack Anko. With her free right hand, Anko pulled an invisible chord attached to the senbon. As her tonfa and Zabuza's sword met in a spark of metal, the senbon struck him in his right tricep.

He ignored it for a moment but then the burn set in. Stumbling back, he dropped to a knee and thrust his sword into the ground for support. His muscles were seizing as he tried to pull the needle out with his left hand, with how much he was shaking he was just as likely to stab himself in his hand as pull it out.

"Let me get that for you." Pulling the senbon out, she wrapped the invisible chord around it again before putting it back into her hair. "It's a special toxin I designed. Based off the forest puff adder's venom, I figured it would be a suitable blend to use against a Konoha shinobi." Walking around to face Zabuza, she lifted his face and looked him in the eyes before pushing him on his back. Resting her elbow on the hilt of the sword sticking up from the ground, she said, "I imagine you've been given the usual Mist village venom resistance regimen. So I doubt this blend will kill you, however I do doubt if you will be able to complete the exams. That sounds like a suitable punishment for you. You get to live, but your legend ends here."

Kneeling down, she straddled his body. Holding his face in her hands again, she pulled down his mask and saw his sharpened teeth grit together in pain. "What a cute expression." Touching the sweat that gathered on his face, she turned his head and licked the side of his face. "Mmm, what a nice flavor you have."

As she stood up she felt his grip on her ankle. Unable to speak, he glared at her with an unmistakable expression. "Ah, you want a name to go with your hatred. I am Anko, Mitarashi Anko, daughter of Orochimaru and Sage of the Serpent. And I bid you farewell, Momochi Zabuza." 

* * *

The fire was an obvious draw. Haku landed and found a familiar crowd of youth beaten nearly to death. Sakura was the first he saw to. A bite on her leg was beginning to darken; poison was spreading through her body. "Lucky girl, I just happened to have this on me." Injecting her with his syringe of antivenom, he saw the skin begin to lighten almost immediately. Bandaging the wound, he moved on to where Naruto lay. The boy's vitals were strong, but his body was cold as ice. Making a few specialized seals, Haku placed his hands on Naruto's chest and drew the cold from the body. His own hands felt like ice afterwards, but it was not a feeling he minded at all.

A movement in the trees behind him made him cautious. Slipping back into the night shadows, Haku was one with the darkness as a man in black came up to Sasuke. There was evil intent in his eyes that seemed to silence even the sound of the nearby fire. Fangs grew in his mouth and he placed his hands on Sasuke's face and neck. Sakura was beginning to stir and awoke in time to scream out, "Stop, what are you doing," just as the man bit Sasuke. The scream that came from Sasuke, the dark aura that radiated pain seemed to drink in light from the fire, plunging the forest into an unnatural abyss of darkness.

"I can see the results of the Sharingan; even now I can sense a power in your eyes that will surpass Itachi's. My name is Orochimaru, and the girl you fought just now was my daughter. If you want to see me again, survive these Chuunin exams. Young Sasuke here will seek me for power."

"What did you do to him?" Sakura's concern was greater than her fear.

"I gave him a going away present." And with that, the man sank into the ground.

Haku felt his hand shake, he steadied it. It had been a long time since he had felt fear, his mask hid his expressions to the world but he knew them all too well. On the ground next to Naruto was a white scroll of heaven. His own team's scroll of earth lay in his pouch.

'This is not right.' He told himself. But reaching down, he grabbed the scroll of heaven and faded away into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

_"You water slugs aren't worthy of my time." the Jounin instructor was an old school hard case; he liked stabbing students with the thin katana he never carried in a sheath. Slicking back his blue hair with a comb, he walked up the line of academy students with obvious disdain in his eyes. Picking at the heartbeat monitor strapped to his neck, Zabuza could only guess at the nature of today's test. "New mizukage, new rules, damn it all." Reaching down with his free hand he unhooked the sake jug on his waist and took a long swig._

_As though that were the signal, the assistant jounin threw needles at every student in the line. Zabuza's reflexes were faster than his peers and he caught the senbon before it hit him. The Instructor appeared behind him and took his wrist in an iron grip. Grabbing the needle, he stabbed it through the back of Zabuza's hand. The pain filled Zabuza's ears with white noise, the world shifted into a soft focus. Not only had the instructor stabbed straight through a nerve, but the needle was poisoned._

_"You've got guts kid, some skill even. But if you really have a desire to get to the top, I'm going to drive you into the dust first. Then you'll know how high you've risen." The man tapped his right arm three times, which caused three more senbon needles to get thrown through Zabuza's forearm._

_"All of your heart rates are being monitored. We're using a rather strong blend of venom today. You'll pair off begin dueling. If at any time your heart rates rise above seventy bpm, the test will end for you. We'll continue until only one of you is left."_

_The next few minutes felt like slow motion as Zabuza saw one student after another fall to the sword, get dragged away by medics, or pass out from the pain of the poison. Standing alone, Zabuza saw the last student carried away on a stretcher. He overheard the conversation between the last medic and one of the instructors._

_"He's amazing. With 300% more venom in his veins his heart rate didn't rise at all."_

_"Yes, and he beat every other student he fought with a single strike._

_The slick haired jounin pulled a vial from his vest and dropped it at Zabuza's feet. Taking another drink of his sake, he bared his sharp teeth in a smile before leaving. Kneeling down Zabuza reached for the vial and snapped back to reality._

Sitting up he looked up at the sky through the trees. The stars told him it was still a few hours from dawn, still the same day as his fight with Orochimaru. The thought of that name, that snake, reminded him of the pain in his veins.

"No, not Orochimaru… Anko." He struggled against his own weight, but his muscles did not want to move according to his desire. Grabbing the hilt of his sword, he pulled himself up and rested his weight on the sword as it stuck into the ground. "I'm going to kill that little bi- aah!"

His hand slipped off the hilt and his forearm was sliced along the edge of the Kubikiribōchō. The thin trickle of blood from his arm began to float towards the blade, filling in the nicks cut into it from Orochimaru's Kusanagi. It was a process he had seen many times before, but never with his own blood.

Squeezing his hand in a fist and releasing it over and over he felt his strength gradually return. His fatigue was still there, but the haze and the pain were diminishing. Finally the ribbon of blood ceased as the sword was restored. Now standing upright, Zabuza pulled the Kubikiribōchō from the ground and looked at the pristine blade on the weapon.

'Did it just draw the poison from my veins?' The thought seemed ridiculous but he could not shake the impression. It was not something he had seen the blade do before. 'Must just be luck.' He dismissed the musing and slung it over his shoulder.

Touching his pocket, Zabuza remembered the piece of ice Haku had given him for communication. It had buzzed during his spar with Anko, 'So he got the Heaven scroll. That's one less thing to worry about.' At that moment Zabuza half wished his team would just fail the exams so he would be free to go after the little witch, but remembering the Mizukage he reckoned it was best to not anger the big witch.

Looking back up to the stars, this time for navigation instead of telling the time, Zabuza regained his bearings and started walking towards the rendezvous point they had meant to regroup by at dawn. Realizing it was still a dozen kilometers away, he took the time to practice the new variation on the Hidden Mist technique.

'Orochimaru said he was able to track me by my footsteps.' Strangely the thought that he had faced Orochimaru did not frighten him as much as it should have. There was something about that fight; it wasn't like fighting the devil as some thought Orochimaru to be. It felt more like sparring with a teacher, someone who shows you the flaws in your technique knowing you are smart enough to learn from the experience.

As the mists rose up from the moisture in the ground he concentrated on his feet. Walking up trees and walking on water each required a different focus of chakra, but to disguise his own footsteps in the mist, it was a brain teaser. Normally he'd rely on Haku's analysis to come up with a solution, but this was something he wanted to figure out on his own.

His concentration lapsed for a moment upon seeing a boy around his age in green spandex jump down from a tree branch yelling about catching leaves before they hit the ground. Ignoring him he moved along until he found a small stream of water.

"Water Clone." A clone image of himself made from water emerged from the water and stood before him. Looking into its dead eyes he remembered first learning the technique, the scrolls stated that water clones were half as strong as the person who made them, but over time he had found that to be false. They were closer to one-quarter his strength.

"Why did I make a water clone?" Punching his hand through the abdomen of the clone, it broke form and collapsed into the stream of water. As it fell the mist swirled to fill the void the water clone had left.

"Now that gives me an idea." 

* * *

Haku tailed Sakura as she carried her teammates down from the tree. She placed them in a hollowed out root structure and began treating to their wounds as best she could. She mostly cried, it was pitiable, but Haku could not blame her.

'What would Zabuza san say if I told him I cowered like that?' Even still he could feel the chill that Orochimaru had sent down his spine, a feeling that still made him cold thinking about it.

Reaching into his robes Haku pulled out his mask and looked at the ice crystal pattern he had drawn. Breathing deeply he let the cold he felt sink into his flesh, the emotions sank into the deep well he hid within. This was like any other problem, there was a solution. In all his years of training if he failed once, he would never fail again. This was merely the first time his fear had got the best of him, it would never happen again.

Putting the mask on, Haku bid a silent farewell to team seven before disappearing into the trees. Along the way he hid behind a tree when he saw the team from a few days back, the ones who had watched the scene in the alleyway between team seven and the Suna genin. The three genin team that was from Otogakure; a team that served Orochimaru. They were headed back the way Haku had came, back towards team seven.

"I owe them as much for the Heaven Scroll." Jumping down Haku landed a dozen meters in front of the Sound Nin. Leaves the tree he was in fell, freezing in the air as they drifted down. The organic matter shattered leaving only the dark pigment and water behind in delicate webs which he reformed into dark snowflake shapes.

As the Sound Nin landed nearby and prepared to attack, Haku had his two attacks already prepared.

"Eikyuutoudo." The ground at their feet froze, their sandals sticking to the permafrost. They each readied their weapons he sent his dark snowflakes spinning around them, releasing subtle chakra as they passed the technique was over in a moment which left them all passed out on the ground.

"Toumin." Releasing his seals, he let the ground return to its natural state before moving over to see his handiwork. Checking their body temperatures and pulse, he knew the genjutsu would wear off in around an hour, but it would be a peaceful hour for team seven.

Kneeling over the third Nin, a young kunoichi with long black hair, Haku took off his mask to get a better look at her face. Zabuza had always felt that it was dishonorable to kill an opponent in a genjutsu, and after his encounter with Kakashi he found a new reason to dislike genjutsu. Sitting down for a moment, Haku brushed hair away from her face and felt the warmth of her cheek. Smiling he created a rose from ice and planted it in the ground next to her face.

Looking to the sky, he knew he would be late to his rendezvous with the rest of his team. Doubling his speed he ran off, sparing one last look back before the Sound Nin disappeared from view.


	12. Chapter 12

"Is Haku with you?" Chojuro sat on a tree branch overlooking a small pond that they had agreed upon for the rendezvous point. There was something about his tone that Zabuza disliked, the half accusatory-half dismissive way he said it. Flipping his sword upward the hole of the Kubikiribōchō slid directly around the branch Chojuro was sitting on. The boy jumped up and off the branch before it hit him, but with a sharp tug downward Zabuza cleaved the branch from the tree.

"Get it out in the open pear boy, I used to have trouble reading you but now it's all too clear you've got a problem. Spill it or I spill your blood."

Pulling on the bindings on the Hiramekarei, Chojuro held the two-handled sword at Zabuza and bared his teeth. He held it in outstretched arm, but it was clear the weight of the sword was still more than he was used to.

"My problem is that I don't want anything to do with you. I didn't even want this stupid sword, yet I'd saddled with the burden of reforming the image of the Seven Swordsmen while being on the same team as one who would continue the old ways." He lowered the blade, but into a low stance, not dropping his guard.

"Heh, so that was the old bat's game when she paired you with me when she went us out here. You're along to steal my thunder. Prove that you're better than me and get all the glory." Dashing forward, Zabuza attacked low, striking at the Hiramekarei in the hope to knock it from Chojuro's hand. Turning the blade sideways, Chojuro used it as a shield blocking the attack. The impact knocked him into the pond where he knelt on the surface of the water.

"You idiot. It's not about you!" The way Chojuro charged was not showy, but it did not lack for force. His footsteps left clear impressions on the water's surface for seconds afterwards. Zabuza met Chojuro's sword, but there was something different in the boy's eyes, something he hadn't shown yet. That frenzy, a wild side he kept restrained. He landed a sweeping strike on Zabuza's right shoulder in a move that flipped the Hiramekarei around his back as he switched hands.

"Clever move kid, I'm starting to like your spirit." Keeping his cool Zabuza saw that Chojuro's frenzy had a critical weak point. Holding the hilt above his head, he held the Kubikiribōchō against his back, blocking a strike from Chojuro. Letting go of the weapon, he caught the hole with the heel of his left foot, stomping it down into the ground he twisted the sword as he sidestepped. Chojuro followed him, and didn't see the sword at his feet tripping him and sending his throat towards the execution blade's edge.

Haku arrived at an insane pace, catching Chojuro by his collar and throwing him to the side away from the sword. Behind his mask his expression was impossible to read, but Zabuza had found that occasionally when Haku was struggling with something or otherwise distracted that the ground around his feet would freeze. Making Haku aware of that had led him to develop a rather clever technique. He was a natural genius, but was not always aware of just how talented he was.

"If you two are tired of clowning around I'd like to suggest that we camp for the night. We have the pond here to read vibrations from anyone moving by ground or tree nearby. We need to decide who will take first watch. And also, I obtained a Scroll of Heaven so all we need to do is move forward to our destination tomorrow."

"I'll take first watch." Zabuza picked up his sword before nodding to Haku who picked a nearby tree to sit against and fall asleep.

Offering Chojuro a hand, he helped him to his feet. Grabbing the sword bindings, Chojuro sat down and began recovering the large blade. Compared to the sword, he looked far too small to be using it. Holding the Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza remembered that he looked much the same when he first claimed the sword.

Leaning against a nearby tree, Zabuza looked at the pond and kept his ears open. "I know what you're getting at Chojuro. I'm not an idiot, a little vain perhaps but not stupid. I know all too well what the village used to be like, more than you even. Kirigakure was called 'The Bloody Mist' but a more fitting name would be hell.

"Of the original seven swords, four are missing, one is with a traitor, and two are in the hands of kids. For these other teams out in this forest tonight they are being tested to see if they've got what it takes to advance to the rank of chuunin. But this test holds a different meaning for the two of us, doesn't it?"

Finishing the wrapping on his sword, Chojuro held it for a moment before placing it on the ground beside him. "These swords carry an old legacy, one older than the bloody mist. But like our village they have been tarnished and cease to shine as they once did."

"Legacy… hmph. Well if 'Granny' Terumi is going to use me, then there's no reason I can't use this situation to rise to new heights myself."

"What is your ambition Zabuza-san?"

"A story for another time pear boy. Get some rest; your footing betrayed how tired you were in our fight."

Zabuza waited for Chojuro's breathing to match Haku's before he stepped out into the center of the pond. Closing his eyes he concentrated on his surroundings, but he knew there were no other teams nearby. Just as well, his concentration was constantly broken by people who troubled him. Terumi Mei. Orochimaru. Hoshigaki Kisame. Hatake Kakashi. The trouble turned to rage when the face of the girl, Anko filled his mind. Her dirty trick she had used to win; those eyes that laughed at him. Other enemies respected his prowess, even Orochimaru had shown honor in their fight, but this Anko mocked him with her every move. Breaking a hand seal he wiped the side of his face where she had licked him.

Putting his hand back together Zabuza collected the moisture in the air for the Hidden Mist technique. Letting the vapors surround him, wrapping him in a cloak, he began altering the hand signs, shaping the mist. A mist clone was harder to form than a water clone, and far weaker, so most shinobi never bothered to use it. Finishing the seals Zabuza approached his twin and examined it in the moonlight. Pressing against the surface it felt solid, yet it yielded to his touch far more than normal flesh would. Pressing his hand straight through the chest caused the mist clone to disintegrate and become one with the cloud that surrounded him.

There was something about the technique he could not quite put his finger on. Were Haku awake he would ask his opinion. 'No, I rely too much on Haku for his advice and opinions. This is something I have to figure out on my own.' On that thought he dispelled the mist and sat down on the surface of the water. Not feeling tired at all he stayed awake through Chojuro's watch and waited for Haku to relieve him.

When sleep did come it was a nightmare of the fight against Orochimaru. He was riding that water serpent and as the snake's jaws opened Anko jumped out and bit him on his neck. Out of reflex he awoke and found it was nearly dawn. Each ate a single soldier pill and washed it down with special Kiri-issued energy water before starting off.

At times Zabuza wondered whether the landscape was entirely natural. The streams they found were still young but the trees were old. Seemed a rather odd contradiction, but he had been told that the land around Konoha would seem unnatural to his senses. An entire forest designed and created by the First Hokage to defend the village and confuse attackers. That man's Kekkei Genkai was something to be feared even five generations after his death, a fact that was not lost on Zabuza was that Yamato shared that bloodline. But to create an entire forest was something on a grand scale. Even Haku pushed to his limit was hard pressed to use ice as a weapon at a range of more than fifty yards. Of course that was thirty yards more than he was able to manage the year before, and forty more than the year before that. His friend was growing at a much faster rate than he himself was. But it was not a fact that bothered Zabuza.

They came across two other teams as they ran that day, deciding not to fight they simply outran both. It was just before midday when they finally reached the facility at the center of the forest. For a ten kilometer journey, it had proven surprisingly difficult.

A jounin of no importance nearly pissed himself when he saw them arrive at the tower. Handing the scroll over to the man they walked inside as he followed trying to give a speech about the principles of Heaven and Earth and what they represented.

At 175 cm, Zabuza knew he was very nearly at his full adult height. Looking down on the jounin stopped the man from his nervous babbling. Knowing they would have to wait three days for the test to finish did not appeal to him, and depending on the rooms they would be provided he might actually choose to sleep out in the forest. As they were led through the halls to their room he peeked into a large audience room where workers were busy replacing damaged wall and floor tiles, clearly this room had seen some action in its days.

"Heh, this might actually be more fun than I had thought."_  
_


	13. Chapter 13

"Like I care?" Zabuza sneered at the Jounin after hearing that his team had come in second place to the team from Suna. This phase of the test was not a race; coming in last was no different from coming in first.

Brushing past the nameless jounin Zabuza led his team up to their stateroom. Their bedrolls were waiting for them along the far wall, a card on the table listed the times when meals would be delivered. Other than a couch and a few wall scrolls the room was surprisingly stark.

"Haku," making a hand sign meaning silence gave Haku all the instruction his quick witted brother needed. Tilting his head to Chojuro told the younger swordsman to search the walls as well for any means of spying or anything else. Haku placed special dark ice over places he found, soundproofing the room; Chojuro had to use blood seals to seal the two he found. When they each thought themselves finished, Zabuza shook his head and stuffed bandages up the bathroom sink, an easily missed vibration point.

Setting his sword down, Chojuro pulled out a water bottle and asked, "Is this about something you found in the forest?"

"Yeah. The letter from Granny Terumi was right, Orochimaru is here and I fought him." Zabuza raised a hand to shield his face from the liquids that flew from Chojuro's mouth when he spit in surprise.

"Fought one of the Sannin and you're still alive?" Chojuro opened his mouth and bit the knuckles on his left hand and interesting quirk Zabuza hadn't noticed before.

"I saw him as well. He had an encounter with Naruto Kun's team, but he was not the one who defeated him. Furthermore, whoever beat them was not interested in their scroll." Haku removed his mask and took a seat on the tatami floor. There was a determination set in his face, deep thoughts and feelings.

"I fought that one as well, a girl with dark hair who moves faster than you Haku. She had my number, shot me up with some nasty poison and left."

"And yet payback is not foremost on your mind." Chojuro showed some promise in reading others; he was beginning to show some confidence.

"No, as much as I'd like to strangle her the best way to get back at her is to finish these exams. She meant to incapacitate me, prevent us from finishing the test. Yet here we are and I intend to make a show for all those nobles who have made their travel plans to come out here."

"Starting to see it her way?" There was no need to clarify who "she" was.

"Heh. First Kakashi, then Terumi, now Orochimaru. It seems like fate is stacking the deck against us." Finally unhooking the Kubikiribōchō from his back, Zabuza saw his dark reflection in the mysterious steel. None of his features were prominent; the shadows were all highlighted making his face look more like a shade than a living reflection. Only the night before the sword had tasted his blood, now it seemed it wanted a taste of his soul.

"Zabuza San?" Haku's voice snapped him back to his senses. His internal clock told him that he had been staring at the sword for nearly ten minutes. Lowering the blade, Zabuza took off the handle and placed the sword on the table.

Their afternoon meal arrived shortly after that, a traditional meal from the southern forests of the Land of Fire, greens and flatbread. No spices, no additives, just plain. It was easy to see the food had not been tampered with. Making ice cubes to cool their drinks, Haku paused for a moment and stared at one as he was about to put it in his glass. Sliding his finger along the edges of the ice, he closed his eyes and placed a finger on each of the six sides. His lips began to move, he was mouthing something, though from where Zabuza couldn't tell.

"Are you sure about these reports of Orochimaru in the forest? What does he have to do with the Chuunin exams? Yes I'm well aware of the reports of his connection to the Otogakure, but we can't prove them any more than the reports of a connection between Suna and Otogakure. Until we know more we can't make a move, I don't want to hear any more Koharu. Now I need time alone to concentrate, I need to peace if I'm going to be able to see what's going on in the forest."

"Koharu Utatane is one of the Hokage's assistants." Chojuro picked at his fingernails before shrugging his shoulders. "What? I've read the brief on Konoha's leadership."

"Is that some kind of new technique of yours?" Zabuza saw Haku drop the ice cube into his drink.

"Crystals vibrate at specific frequencies. I discovered recently that I can pick up on the vibrations in ice cubes from at least one kilometer away if I'm touching an ice cube of my own. I didn't imagine I'd pick up on an ice cube in the Hokage's glass of ice tea."

"So the Hokage is in this building then?"

"It would make sense for him to be here to investigate reports of Orochimaru and oversee the exams."

"The way I see this, at least we know what level we need to step up to. These exams were never about being promoted to Chuunin anyways. Keep your eyes open, do what you can to figure out what's at stake, and beat whoever you find yourself fighting. That's all we can do until we know more."

And that was the end of the conversation. The next three days were fairly silent; Chojuro used the training field to hone his sword skills, Haku sat and practiced making increasingly more complex ice forms, and Zabuza found himself staring into the side of his sword most days. There was something to the sword, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Other teams came in over the next couple of days, but interaction was limited, primarily because nobody wanted to socialize with people from other villages. The workout room was used in shifts but otherwise the teams stayed in their rooms.

Finally the day arrived and all the teams who had passed the second phase were in. All in all nine teams had passed. The instructor for the next phase announced that preliminary fights would be held to reduce that number further. Most surprising to Zabuza was that once again Naruto's team had managed to pass, but the tests were not all that difficult so it was not impossible that they were able to manage it.

Teams went off to the railings on the sides of the arena. Zabuza could not help but think the statues of the arms along the north wall were ridiculous, he chuckled to himself that he paid more attention to the bad art than to the low level shinobi in the room. The only one who caught his attention was Gaara from the Sand. He gave off a very dark impression, but it was not fear Zabuza felt but curiosity. There was something incomplete about the boy, there was something missing. The red tattoo on his forehead was cryptic as well.

Going up to the rails, Zabuza was surprised to find Ao waiting for them. Giving out a disgusted sigh, Zabuza stood against the wall and looked down at the match area. He had expected to see Ao; he just didn't count on it being at this point. Ao gave a hand sign of "We'll talk later." Zabuza's hand sign was far less complex, he just held up his middle finger.

As the first match started and the Uchiha boy fought against some Konoha stooge Haku had a few things to say with hand signs as well, but with the personal variant they had developed together. "Orochimaru is the advisor of the Sound team."

"I figured as much." Zabuza signed back. "Can't do anything right now and he'll probably disappear if we try. Just watch the matches." Of course Zabuza only said that to get Haku off his back. When the Uchiha boy won, a dark seal spread across his body and he was rushed off by his instructor Kakashi. When Orochimaru slipped away as well, Zabuza followed using his silent movement technique.

He came up behind Orochimaru who was watching Kakashi prepare hundreds of blood seals in a room around Sasuke. Underneath his feet Zabuza walked on a thin cloud of mist, preventing his footsteps from being felt, let alone heard. Pulling out his sword, he snuck behind Orochimaru and pressed the edge of the blade against the man's neck.

"No, this isn't you." Flipping the sword in his grip, he stabbed backwards with the blade and felt the tip caught in a powerful and desperate grasp. Turning to face Orochimaru he found that the sword had neatly sliced off the protective vest, but the Sannin had stopped it before it reached his flesh.

"Much better Zabuza Kun. If I hadn't doubled back, I wouldn't have even known you were coming after me." Pushing back on the sword, Orochimaru jumped back to a safe distance and stripped off the remainder of his disguise. There was something unsettling about the way he stripped off his identity and clothes like a snake shedding its skin. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your exams? This hardly seems like the place for a genin."

"I intend to get back to the exams." Lowering his sword, Zabuza walked up to Orochimaru and looked the much older man in the eyes. Oddly it did not feel like staring death in the face, he could see that for all the monster Orochimaru was, he was still a man. "I wanted to let you know that I don't care what you are planning. I don't care what your business is with the Uchiha boy or Sharingan Kakashi."

"Really? And what is it that you do want to tell me?"

"Something I learned from a shinobi that reminds me of you. Behind your techniques, behind your great name, behind everything, you are just a man. And any man can be killed." Zabuza turned away and walked back to the arena. Before he was out of ear shot Orochimaru called back.

"Seek me out if you want the opportunity to see him again."


	14. Chapter 14

"Interesting."

"What was that Haku senpai?" Chojuro asked having only picked up half of what Haku had said.

"Nothing Chojuro," Haku lied, "look, the next match is starting." Haku had heard the conversation between Zabuza and Orochimaru, a stray ice cube in Zabuza's pocket had picked up the sounds. Experimenting with the technique had made it a very useful for spying, a perfect supplement to his ice mirror's visual surveillance.

Turning his attention back to the arena, two new fighters stepped up to battle. As they began to face off, Zabuza appeared through a side door and entered the underground stadium again. He waved off the guard simply saying "bathroom" and walked up to the balcony.

"Did I miss anything?"

"No, they're only now starting the next match. An Aburame bug user against one of the young Sound Nin."

Zabuza's eyes appraised the fighters as they began. The Sound Nin had one arm in a sling and was making a brave show in contrast to the Aburame's calm demeanor.

"Zaku is it?" Zabuza half asked looking at the board on the wall. "Some people should know when to give up." The fight did not last long, ending with an explosive conclusion, one of the Sound Nin's arms lying on the ground.

"Gruesome." Chojuro held a hand to his mouth.

"Take a lesson from each fight kid. This fight is about keeping your cool. Zaku, one-armed or not, could have won this if he had stuck to his attacks and not been distracted by his temper."

Haku did his best to focus on the fights, but the next couple were rather boring. A Konoha genin lost to a Suna puppet user, two Konoha kunoichi (one a mind transfer user) fought each other for an hour before a double knock-out, and another fight between kunoichi weapon users ended poorly for the Konoha genin against the girl from Suna. Chojuro did his best to come up with likely lessons from each fight to please Zabuza, but it was clear after the long fight between the two girls from Konoha that he simply stopped caring. Truth was, Haku could hardly blame Zabuza, this part of the test was incredibly uneventful but willowing out the nonessential fighters would make for a better final exam for all the nobles and others in attendance.

"The next fight is Nara Shikamaru versus Tsuchi Kin." From opposite sides of the arena stepped down the next fighters. Haku had heard of the specialty of the Nara Clan, but had never seen it in action. The other fighter, the girl, interested Haku. Perhaps it was the novelty of seeing the jutsu of the fighters from the Hidden Village of Sound, maybe there was something about the way she carried herself. Still, Haku's training tugged at him. To always see beyond a confident exterior, to be real confidence it has to be backed up by strong skills and a solid sense of self.

The fight played out well enough. The girl, Kin, made a good show of herself. Her bells, needles, and invisible wires made for a tricky combination. Unfortunately her aim was weak and she didn't finish off the Nara boy quickly, allowing him to use his shadow ability to great effect. The final part of the fight was a great bluff, and the shadow imitation dodge knocked the girl out.

There was a sad sense of loss on Kin's face when she finally came to and left the arena; a dark sort of disappointment that Haku could not put his finger on. Remembering the information they had learned about Orochimaru and the Sound Village, he decided to make a point to look further into the Sound Team and their intentions for being at the Chuunin exams.

"Our next fight will be between Chojuro and Hiyama." The announcer Gekko coughed and waited for the next competitors to come down. Haku stole a glance towards the shinobi on the opposite side of the room making his way down to the ground floor. His head was wrapped up with more cloth than the Sound Nin Dosu; truth was Haku wondered how he managed to see through the cowl. There was no other loose clothing on his body; everything else was covered by a skintight black jumpsuit.

"Don't let his look psyche you out. Trust in your strengths and when in doubt charge." Zabuza's tone still carried a hint that he didn't like Chojuro, but he was far more tolerant than he once was.

Keeping the Hiramekarei wrapped on his back, Chojuro faced down his first opponent who had his hands together in the boar seal. Haku ran through a list of jutsu he knew of that began with the boar seal, for some reason the Summoning Technique struck him as being likely. The bandaged thumb and dark spot on Hiyama's arm strengthened the impression. On the signal of begin, Chojuro charged with his sword as soon as Hiyama's hands went to the next seal. Sure enough, Haku was right and it was a summoning jutsu. Chojuro's sword flew straight and Hiyama's dodge was instead him placing his hand to the ground to finish the jutsu.

A cloud of smoke filled the arena, but Chojuro's missed attack was a feint. The over lunge with the sword was meant to be a diversion; the real attack was a powerful kick using the weight and momentum of the sword to alter the direction and strength of the kick. Kicking straight at where Hiyama was, and made contact. Hiyama flew back and landed as best her could. Jumping through the smoke, Chojuro brought his sword up in a downward strike, intending to end the match, but the sword was nearly torn from his grip as one of the bandages was pulled backwards.

Landing on the ground Chojuro found himself between Hiyama and the revealed summon beast. It was an incredibly colorful, two meter tall chicken. Smoke rose from the nostrils on the creature's beak, and with a roar that was part cluck it breathed fire in a thin stream that stayed on the floor as it lay. The fire did burn the end of the bandage, freeing the Hiramekarei and allowing Chojuro to dodge.

"Basan. Now that is an interesting summon." A Konoha jounin spoke to another from across the room, Haku read their lips.

Hiyama stood up and made seals for a wind technique. Combined with a potential fire breath from the Basan had the potential to create a problem for Chojuro.

"Futon: Joushoukiryuu." The wind technique blew forward and was combined with a breath of fire from the Basan.

"Heh, he's got this." Zabuza said. Haku had become an expert at reading Zabuza's expressions under his mask, he was smirking at Chojuro.

Sure enough, before the massive jet of fire hit Chojuro his sword was glowing brightly with incredible chakra. Raising it over his shoulder she stepped towards the flame and swung his sword. A giant hammer of pure chakra formed and cut through the fire. Not only did the Hiramekarei act as a shield, protecting him from the attack, but the force of the attack caused a feedback that sent a backlash towards Hiyama and the summoned beast.

The shockwave knocked several of the genin to their feet in the resulting explosion. The floor tiles were darkened and some were cracked by the force. The ones surrounding Chojuro in a circle were pristine in comparison. Walking forward, he didn't wait for the smoke to clear. Placing the sword again on his back, he walked toward the staircase and rejoined Haku and Zabuza. The medics rushed in to find Hiyama on the ground, unharmed but unconscious. The Basan had protected him from the brunt of the counterattack.

"Burned out?"

"If I didn't know you better Zabuza senpai, I'd almost think that was a pun."

Haku did not expect what happened next. Zabuza laughed. Slapping Chojuro on the back she said, "You know what? You're alright kid. Keep that attitude and you might turn out just fine."

A fifteen minute recess was called to allow the arena to be cleaned. While Chojuro went off to find more wrapping for his sword and Zabuza argued with Ao about leaving after Sasuke's match Haku decided to disappear for a bit. He had a bad feeling in his gut between the conversation with Orochimaru, talk of the cursed seal on the Uchiha boy and the two members of the Sound Team in the infirmary. Something was wrong, and he wanted to find out what.


	15. Chapter 15

Behind his mask Haku found that most people didn't question him, there was something about the masks that intimidated the rank and file. While the Konoha Anbu preferred masks with animal designs, the Hunter Nin in Kiri went with more natural designs as though the job they performed were as natural as the winds and the waves blowing away refuse.

There was a hidden tension in the air, something he had always been able to sense. The infirmary was around the corner but he didn't dare go inside, far too many guards and his time was short in any case. Listening to the water in the pipes flowing through the walls, Haku found a leaky faucet and froze the water as it came out of the pipe. Using an ice eye technique he saw and heard through the icicle as it hung from the faucet at the far end of the room from where everyone else sat.

Zaku was the first to catch his eye; he was both one-armed and unconscious. On a sealing scroll next to him lay his other arm which looked the worse for wear. The sealing would keep it in stasis should the surgeons try to reattach it or simply send it off to Otogakure.

Most of the attention was at the far end of the room where Kakashi and the Hokage surrounded the young Uchiha boy. While Sasuke was near unconscious though in pain, it was clear their conversation centered on Orochimaru. Haku felt a twinge of his nerves at the thought that he might be traced to the scene for the help he had rendered to the Haruno girl, but he didn't regret it.

Finally his eye rested on Kin, who was sitting in a corner with an ice pack for her head. On a table next to her was a liquid which was most likely an herbal blend to help her with her concussion. There was a calm sort of depression on her face, part defeat part resignation. Odd that he expected her to show a hint of anger, some sort of determination to never fail again. It was almost as though he was looking at a girl who had failed her last chance, sitting in a cell of her own mind waiting for an executioner's blade.

"No, you aren't waiting for a quick retribution like Zabuza's sword. You are afraid but you know you can't escape." Letting the ice melt, Haku made his way back to the stadium but his thoughts were troubled. Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, would likely not reward failure.

Stopping himself, a question tugged at his thoughts, 'Why do I care?' These young genin from theSoundVillagedid not mean anything to him. What was the connection? It was a question that bothered him in part because he was so quick to find answers. Reachign the stadium he climbed up the ramp to the balcony and leaned back against the wall. No longer interested in the fights, he tried to think of the answer but all he could see was the look on the girl's face as she lay unconscious.

* * *

"Inuzuka Kiba versus Uzumaki Naruto." The announcer waited for the fighters to face off in the arena before letting them fight. Zabuza knew that in any other situation the Ninken user would have an advantage, but between the Shadow Clone technique and dumb luck, the idiotic Naruto would have the edge in this fight. Despite the advantage in speed, strength and tactics, sure enough Naruto came out on top. The fight did nothing but make him angry, it ended on such a gimmick.

The next fight did not interest him either, a duel between Hyuuga Clan members. Behind him Ao was sweating and watching intently, that eye he kept hidden from the world was something he was not comfortable having in Konoha, least of all at this moment. Thankfully research had proven that his eye was hidden from detection by other Byakugan, but nervous was nervous nonetheless.

A technically interesting fist fight, but swordplay beat taijutsu every time, provided the swordsman was even half competent. It was another dragged on fight that seemed to get Naruto riled up, but otherwise it ended predictably. The confident young man beat the withdrawn younger girl. Still, to have such a contrast of strength and weakness in a single Clan, Konoha had to show a high level of strength to conceal its weaknesses.

"I kind of feel sorry for her." Chojuro said in an aside. Naruto jumped down and made some sort of blood oath of vengeance against the Hyuuga boy.

"Personally I'd feel sorrier for him, calling out the Hyuuga like that." He'd need more than luck to beat the skill that was obviously concealed behind those white devil eyes.

"The next match: Yuki Haku versus Onoda Ryouichi."

"Seems like fate is pinning us all against the same team from Konoha. He's the teammate of the man Chojuro fought." Haku jumped down to face off against his opponent, as Zabuza stole a glance at the other member of the team; a man in his middle years with glasses, wearing a very formal shirt and vest. His look was a sharp contrast to his younger teammate facing Haku who was a large man in his early twenties with a skintight, sleeveless black shirt. Dark Brown hair and eyes that seemed to be glazed over, as though lost in a trance. It was a difficult expression to read, Haku would have to rely on body movements to work out his strategy.

At the word, their fight began. Haku ran in close range, punching at Ryouchi with hidden senbon in his fists. Clearly not a slouch at taijutsu, he managed to parry and dodge most of the punches; most, not all, as after a couple minutes he did have pins sticking out of specific pressure points.

"I know those pressure points," Chojuro confidently observed, "Haku is slowly paralyzing him."

"Not quite. The needles aren't going in far enough." Ao corrected, it was easier to let the older voice reply Chojuro's enthusiasm and questions. Ao's job was to instruct Chojuro and give him information; Zabuza had begun to take an interest in Chojuro and would teach him how to think and how to act. Even if he partially succeeded, he would make life harder for Ao and the Mizukage in their attempts to correct the boy's attitude, which was fine by Zabuza.

Ao had been right though, something was odd about Haku's opponent. Not much more time elapsed before Zabuza saw it. A Stoneskin technique, it was gradual in development, where more advanced users could bring it out instantaneously. No longer wasting senbon on profitless attacks, Haku decided to withdraw to medium range and see where his opponent would make his move.

Sure enough the rock user made his advance. Charging Haku, he threw stones seemingly conjured from air at Haku. The technique was subtle, pulling up materials from the ground and transferring it through the stone armor to his hands. One strategy to defeating someone like this would be to remove him from his element, get him up in the air or in the water. But this was Haku's fight to win.

It was looking bad for a moment, Haku backed against the wall and upon touching it was grasped by hidden hands of stone which trapped his arms and legs. Charging at full speed, Ryouichi crashed into the stone wall, sending shattered pieces of ice all across the floor. One piece seemed to flatten into an ice mirror and out stepped Haku. The other shards of ice expanded as the room grew colder, eventually the ice formed into three perfect clones of Haku, in shape only.

Rebounding from the wall, Ryouichi charged Haku again, smashing the ice statues and grabbing Haku in his grip. "You're mine now boy."

"Actually, that's my line." A gasp raised from all the onlookers as icicles began forming all over Ryouichi's body, freezing him in place. Freeing himself from the icy grip, Haku circled his opponent and with a single strike to his back said, "Shimoyake." With that the icicles shattered and so to did Ryouichi's stone armor. Letting his opponent fall to the ground, shivering and blue with cold, Haku calmly walked back to where he had landed when he went down and jumped back up to the spot he had been standing before. The ice evaporated and returned to vapor and the room returned to normal temperature.

Naruto went over to congratulate Haku, praising him alongside Chojuro and a couple other rookies. From across the room the eyes of Gaara were intently fixed on something, a big difference from the cold disregard he had given every other fighter other than the Uchiha and Hyuuga boys.

Shrugging his shoulders, Zabuza felt eager at the thought of his own upcoming fight. Perhaps he would face Gaara; it would feel good to have the sword in his hands again. So see how he would fare against the kazekage's son. But now was Haku's moment and truth being told it would likely always be Haku's moment. He knew his brother's potential exceeded his own, yet for some reason Haku relied on Zabuza for direction. Already the pretext of coming to Konoha was serving everyone's ends: Chojuro's corruption, Zabuza's ambition, the Mizukage's reformation; but the question bothered Zabuza, how best would this experience serve Haku? Heavy thoughts, not anything to have on one's mind when going into a fight, yet those were his thoughts.

* * *

Shimoyake = Frostbite. Haku ices up his opponent's body. Can do anything from freeze you in place, to breaking armor/defensive jutsu. Leaves you very vulnerable to any other attack he has in mind.


	16. Chapter 16

As the randomized computer generator spun through the few remaining names, Zabuza saw grains of sand surround Gaara, expanding and spinning around him and a matching space on the arena. In his heart, Zabuza knew this was not his fight and when the announcer called down Rock Lee to be Gaara's opponent he lost interest. The only three remaining people in this phase were an old man, the kid from the Sound who looked half dead with all the bandages he wore, and a fatty from Konoha's Akimichi Clan.

Lee's level of physique was impressive for his age, but the whole point of chakra jutsu is to go beyond the physical. His speed would not save him if he were found himself in a water environment. A water prison would be the end of him. Gaara's sand armor was much the same. He was a ninja too reliant upon a single area of strength, his sand was useful for defense and attack, but the right water jutsu could ruin his abilities.

It was a fight of one surprise after another from Lee, but it was clear Gaara had the advantage through it all, despite the cheers for Lee. Chojuro in particular got into the fight.

"He's knocked Gaara up in the air; Lee's going to win this."

"Keep your eye on Gaara's gourd." Fingering a whetstone, Zabuza waited for the fight to end. Sure enough, Lee had burned through all his energy by using his gates, leaving him defenseless against Gaara's last attacks. A jounin, as green as Lee, jumped down to stop the battle but it was over for Lee.

Thankfully the next fight was over quickly Dosu Kinota, the Sound Nin, made short work of the clumsy Akimichi kid. Of course that left only one final person for Zabuza to fight.

"Momochi Zabuza versus Akado Manabu." The man with the large, brown moustache and matching suit vest stepped down to the arena and stood at ease with his hands behind his back. Immediately Zabuza was reminded of an instructor who liked to form seals behind his back just like that. The impression stuck with him. Over his shoulder, Zabuza saw Haku standing forward to watch the fight, clearly interested in how this was going to develop.

Still something did not sit right with Zabuza, why was such a relatively old man in the Chuunin exams to begin with? He looked forty years old, far beyond the teenage years when the promotion usually comes. More than that, Zabuza realized that it had been a direct match up between his own team and Manabu's. The "random" generator was anything but, the members of Manabu's team had shown a level of technique beyond that of a normal genin.

The man had a fake smile on his face; an expression Zabuza hated above all others. "Let's have a nice fight Zabuza-kun." If there was something Zabuza hated more than a fake smile, it was being called by that honorific.

Raising his hand to his sword hilt, Zabuza grit his teeth behind his mask. "I didn't notice it before because I wasn't paying attention to your team in the first part of the test. You are plants aren't you? Meant to have the correct answers on your tests to let others copy off you, but not meant to move on to the next stage unless ordered to." Drawing his sword, Zabuza held it out straight towards Manabu. "So the question is: why was your team ordered to fight us?"

The smile faded and the man looked his age. Shaking his upper lip to move his moustache, he sniffed out sharply in disgust. "Anyone ever tell you that you're too bright for your own good?" Clapping his hands together in front of him, Manabu brought them apart which caused a scroll to appear in a flash of smoke. Unfurling the scroll with a streak of blood made the scroll fade away as a sword with a glowing orange edge take form in his right hand. The blade itself was a mean-looking katana that ended with a hook like a shuang gou blade, only reversed.

Zabuza reminded himself of a scroll in a hidden pocket in his pants, summoning some water would make this fight easier, but he felt his pride as a swordsman at stake. As Manabu took an offensive stance, Zabuza pulled out the scroll and tossed it in the air in front of him before cutting it in half. Before the two halves hit the ground, he charged.

The first clash sent an impact up Zabuza's arms. He had not expected the old man to be so strong. Quickly he realized it was not the man's strength, but his footing was turning Zabuza's strength against him. Adjusting his grip and the angle of his sword attacks, he was able to counter Manabu's technique and drove the old man back with the trick he had tried using on Zabuza.

Twisting the sword as he attacked, Manabu managed to catch the Kubikiribocho with his hook on the headsman's trap. Keeping his grip, Zabuza looked in shock as Manabu pulled down hard with his sword and cut through the Kubikiribocho with a white hot blade. With a heated blade, Manabu would be able to damage the Kubikiribocho's edge and even cut through it. It was a clever sword, but Zabuza could see it was draining his chakra.

Not letting the extra offensive bother him, Zabuza pressed his attack, letting little bits of the Kubikiribocho be chopped off as he drove Manabu back all around the room. As a portion of the Kubikiribocho broke, Zabuza saw a chance. Striking up with his sword, he spun and caught Manabu's sword by the hook with enough force to knock it from his hands to the ground.

"And who are you threatening with a broken sword?" The old man said with a smug look on his face.

"A man who no longer holds a sword." Zabuza pressed a remaining part of the Kubikiribocho's blade against his opponent's neck. "I'm not allowed to kill you in these exams, but I'm half tempted to hunt you down and let the Kubikiribocho drink your blood."

"You are a strong young man, but you have not won this fight yet." Disappearing in a puff of smoke, Zabuza saw Manabu's sword fall to the ground in front of him. Over his shoulder Manabu appeared where his sword had fallen and was finishing hand seals for a new technique.

"Raiton: Shichu shibiari!"

Four pillars rose from the ground surrounding Zabuza. They made a low drone like an electric hum and caused the air to crackle around him. The electricity created a magnetic field that made it hard to hold the Kubikiribocho, let alone move with it. Manabu was saying something, but his words were lost over the strain Zabuza was under.

Then the lightning struck, the first bolt knocked the wind right out of him, the second felt like it set all of his muscles on fire. Dropping to a knee, Zabuza fought to maintain consciousness. Stabbing the Kubikiribocho into the ground allowed him to ease his pain by grounding some of the electricity, but Zabuza knew it was a temporary solution. He needed time to think, time to come up with a plan like…

'No, I'm not Haku. I'm not a man of thought; I'm a man of action. And it's time to act!' Stripping off his left armband, Zabuza lowered the bandages covering his mouth and bit into his own flesh, hitting the right veins and arteries as his teeth pierced through skin, muscle and nerves. His blood flowed freely from his wound into the Kubikiribocho.

'At this rate I have around a minute of strength followed by another minute of consciousness. Enough time to punch this smug bastard right in the face and break his glasses.'

Rising from the floor Zabuza pulled the Kubikiribocho from the stone, shining and whole once more. Something was different about his sword though, something he had felt before. The lightning surrounding him no longer felt like lightning, but like raw chakra in the form of a light yellow wind. Everything was connected, the wind to the pillars, the pillars to Manabu, but a near invisible thread that glowed faintly. It looked as fragile as a spider's web, holding out his sword, Zabuza cut the thread leading back to Manabu.

Light filled his senses and he felt like he was floating. Was it the blood loss? Had his nervous system been overloaded by the attack, he could not say. Attempting to rise, Zabuza realized that he was already on his feet. Blinking his eyes he felt his sight restored and saw chunks of stone all across the floor around him. Five yards away he noticed Manabu kneeling on the ground grabbing the sides of his head as he passed out falling face first on the floor.

'Gotta stay on my feet.' That thought burned in Zabuza's mind above all others. The fight, the chuunin exams, everything came rushing back to him. "If I fall down now they'll use it as an excuse to hold me back. I'm stronger than their plans, stronger than this. I am Momochi Zabuza, the man who will be Mizukage. You remember the name."

Ao came down, but Zabuza threw off the man's hand as he walked out of the arena. He made it as far as the infirmary before he collapsed, dragging his bloody sword behind him.

* * *

Raiton: Shichu shibiari - Lightning release: Four Pillar Bind. User creates four stone pillars which trap and shock a target in the middle of them.


	17. Chapter 17

"Are these orders real?"

Anko did not hold it against the guard, he was trained to be suspicious and the fact that he was at this moment was to his credit because the papers were forged. A scar cut across his face at eye level, emphasizing the results of his surgery. Seals had been added into his eyes, allowing him to see hidden details, a cheap version of a doujutsu Orochimaru had experimented with when the inspiration had struck. However Anko had the advantage of knowing all of her father's seals, even if forgeries the seals would be accurate.

"What do your eyes tell you?"

"I'm asking because he is not to be released for another three weeks. The orders may be genuine, but even when presented with the truth it may well be surrounded by lies. That is the nature of deception." Blood veins in his face pulsed with a red glow for a moment before returning to normal.

"Are you satisfied?" Anko held out her hand to take the paper back from the brute, the man shook his head before standing aside. Folding the forgery away into her robes, she entered the hospital wing of the base and waved off the guards she found inside.

Going into the familiar room, Anko checked the new medical records from the diagnosis machines. His breathing was stable, but Anko remembered countless times she tried to wake him up in surprise only to find that he was already awake.

A printer near the bed recorded all the new data on the scroll, Anko clenched her jaw to see that the condition was deteriorating. Unplugging the printer, Anko rolled up the scroll and put it into a shoulder bag she had left in the room. Opening a filing cabinet she found a research journal and Kabuto's cell mapping data.

"You've got your mind on something Anko." Still on the bed with seal strips over his eyes, vitals, and limbs Kimimaro gave the impression that he knew what Anko was doing better than she did. "Either father sent you home to check up on me, which is unlikely, or you're here against orders."

"That's why it was never fun to play guessing games with you." Anko undid the seals and turned off the machines her brother was connected to. Going to his side she helped him to his feet before going to the dresser to get his clothes.

"I was planning on going to Konoha to see the invasion in three weeks." Grabbing his clothes, he drew the bed curtains closed as he changed. "But you have something else on your mind, and it has to do with my condition." As he finished the sound of his bones cracking filled the room as was his habit when he got up.

"When we're on the road I'll tell you, I promise." Holding out the pinky of her right hand she waited for Kimimaro to extend his own before they shook on it. "Good, now grab whatever you think you'll need. We're going to be on the road for a bit."

* * *

Flexing his forearm, Zabuza still felt where he had bit his arm, it had not finished healing but that did not mean he could not use his other arm. Somehow the sword felt lighter now than it had, though that was the least of the oddities he sensed in the blade.

Ao was outside working with Chojuro, and where the two seemed to get along perfectly before; their relationship seemed somewhat strained of late. Zabuza couldn't help but smile that his example was taking root. Haku spent most of his days training in cave he had found outside of Konoha. It was a quiet week, gave lots of time to think.

The seven swordsmen of Kirigakure were an institution that went back to the foundation of the village. In all that history there have been fifty-six who have held that position, though the blades have changed over the years. Only three of the original swords were still considered part of the seven swords: the Kubikiribocho, the Hiramekarei, and the Samehada. The other four swords were replacements to blades that were destroyed or lost to time, and even to the casual observer it was obvious that the craftsmanship of the new blades were inferior.

Placing the sword on the ground in front of him he concentrated on the metal and remembered everything he had heard about the sword. Its history had been a long and bloody one, but its origin was still shrouded in mystery. Legend had it that the original seven swords were all made by a single master craftsman named Musashi. It was said that the seals he placed into the original swords each required years to perfect, that it had taken him close to forty years to craft them all.

Most of his life he had not believed the stories, but he was no longer sure if he could discount them. Still shaken from the results of his fight, the lights he had seen. "And here I thought only the Sharingan could see Chakra. Yet there I was.

"The Samehada can drain chakra and the Hiramekarei amplifies the user's chakra; but the Kubikiribocho drinks blood to repair itself, what does it have to do with chakra?"

Going back to the apartment, Zabuza felt relieved that the arrival of Ao had given them slightly more freedom from Yamato constantly watching over them. Pulling out one of the linked scrolls, Zabuza set the seals to send a message back to its pair. This one was linked back to Kirigakure's archives. The message would be simple, "Send copies of Musashi's private journals." It had once been required reading for the Seven Swordsmen, but that practice had discontinued after three swordsmen were killed in a battle and raising immediate replacements had been valued more than the tradition.

The reply took a few minutes, but the text gave instructions for using the linked summon scroll. After giving blood sample release data and waiting another minute, a stack of eight books appeared next to a series of instructions indicating that the copies would burn under any number of circumstances. Picking up the first volume, Zabuza sat down and began to read. There was a mystery here, long forgotten in the hidden mists that he needed to learn.

* * *

The faint glow of chakra in the ice crystals gave off a serene light in the darkness. He could see his breath reflected in the ice mirror as it slowly blew out the sides of his mask with his breath. Long ago he had learned the trick to breathe in the cold and not have his breath give off steam, but it was not something he needed to do while training alone.

His hand passed along the surface of the ice mirror as he called up the chakra inside. He had found out many tricks to do with his ice, and this new one he had found almost on accident. The chakra in the ice could absorb and capture light, but releasing the light the mirror had taken in, he could in fact record movements in the light that had passed in front of the mirror. Through this technique he could watch a lightshow of himself training from five minutes earlier. Already he had found, and corrected, three mistakes in his movement and form. Another useful tool, but it never felt like enough.

Pulling a small necklace from underneath his robe, Haku took a moment to remember his mother. Her kindness, her compassion, her warmth. How generous or loving she was did not matter to the villagers, or even his father. She was hated, feared, and killed because she was able to do something others could not.

That was a wound on his heart that would not heal. He felt a tear freeze against his cheek, but it was not cold. Ice was a part of him.

An internal clock told him it was time to return to the base, but he did not feel like going home right away. A nearby town had a hot spring resort where he had seen Naruto train at the other day, passing there on his way back he found Naruto eating dinner with a man he recognized from Kirigakure's list of famous shinobi. The white-haired mountain of a man was clearly Jiraiya the Sannin. Between seeing Orochimaru in the Forest and now Jiraiya, Haku could not help but feel out of place.

"Oi, is that you Haku?" Naruto had turned around and was waving from his seat at the ramen bar.

Nodding, Haku walked inside the humble establishment and felt Jiraiya's eyes weigh him with discernment. "I was just training outside of town and I'm on my way back to Konoha before my curfew officer feels the need to arrest me."

"Konoha's only twenty minutes away if you run fast, you still have time enough for dinner..." Naruto looked up at Jiraiya, "do you mind paying for him pervy sage?"

"I don't want to impose." Haku said, trying to bow out.

"Nonsense. Naruto has told me all about the big fight his team had with you and the young Zabuza." Haku didn't doubt that, Naruto didn't seem like the kind of kid who knew how to keep things to himself. Though that open honesty was refreshing, even if it was not a quality many shinobi had.

Taking a seat, Haku took off his mask and ordered dinner. When their bowls arrived, Naruto burned his mouth on the first hot spoonful. Haku laughed, cooled his bowl down to a decent temperature and ate slowly. When they finished, Jiraiya stiffed Naruto and forced the boy to pay the bill out of his own wallet. As Haku stepped outside Jiraiya waved him into the alley next to the shop.

"We both know you and Zabuza are well beyond the level of this Chuunin Exam, but let's forget about that. I don't have any time right now but I'd like to ask you a few questions later, I'll trade information for information. Fair deal?"

"It's a deal." As Jiraiya ran off with Naruto, Haku formed an ice mirror and teleported back to the apartment back in Konoha. As far as he could tell the process was no instantaneous, but it was certainly better than a twenty minute run. Of course using the technique left him feeling hot and unable to use ice techniques for several minutes.

Zabuza sat at the table with more books now than Haku thought he had ever seen his friend with for all the years he had known him. Leaving his friend to his thoughts, Haku went to his room to meditate on what he had done, and was left wondering what secrets he could take from the great Jiraiya.


	18. Chapter 18

The area around the Hot Springs town was a wonder of geography. Apparently a massive sinkhole had been responsible for forming the valley in the first place. A river that ran along the higher ground level came over the side in a series of waterfalls that fed the lower river's path into a series of underground caves. The waterfalls and small lakes they created were popular destinations for tourists, and Jiraiya as well. Naruto was always practicing in a nearby stream, which gave Jiraiya the time he needed for their talks.

"Why teach him the Toad summon? He doesn't strike me as someone with a water elemental affinity." Haku was uncertain what Naruto's elemental was. It was not something easy to judge in younger ninja; but it was easy to see if someone was not an elemental type.

"Naruto will take time to develop. Even at his level he won't be able to do much with the toad summon, but it is one of the best chakra exercises for someone of his age. As for why, I have my reasons."

"Reasons I can guess. You want to ask me about Naruto."

"Yes. I read a report from Kakashi about the fight on the bridge, but you were the one who fought Naruto directly. Tell me."

"The red chakra." Haku took off his mask and fingered the designs. It was hard to not think about the impact of Naruto's fist that had shattered his old mask. With his memory he could almost still feel the blow. "It leaked out of him, like sap from a tree, though the way it made me feel it was more like puss from a wound. Whatever generated that Chakra, it is dark."

"Go on."

"It surrounded him like armor, taking a wild, animal shape to it complete with tail. Then there was the air pressure, like a great wind was being released from inside of him." Haku paused for a moment and figured Naruto was probably wind elemental; that seemed to fit him. "His physical appearance changed as well, eyes, cheeks, claws…" The contents of several scrolls came to mind before it finally clicked. "He's a jinchuuriki, isn't he?"

Jiraiya's reaction was a somber one. "Not many even know that term, but I suppose being from Kirigakure you'd have a better chance knowing that. They say the former Mizukage was a Jinchuuriki, a beast of a man who reigned in blood."

"And Naruto dreams of being Hokage." Haku added. He wondered if Jiraiya was doing this to train Naruto, or to see if the boy would grow up to be a threat. "What business between you and Naruto is Konoha's; I have no right to interfere. But there is something strange about him, stranger than whatever is inside him."

"Yeah. Alright, you told me what I wanted to know. Now, what is it you'd like to know?" Jiraiya jumped up on a rock and nearly fell off when the ha of his geta slid fell down between a rock. Trying to look as though he went off balance on purpose, Jiraiya stood leaning to his side with his arms out and continued, "I am a master of hundreds of techniques. I can train you in whatever you'd like to learn."

With a one-handed seal Haku turned the water in the stream into an ice pillar that pushed Jiraiya upright before turning back into water. "I think I'm good with techniques."

"That's right. The Yuki Clan. I thought you were all killed in the bloodline purge."

"I'm the last." Haku wasn't surprised Jiraiya knew about the Land of Water's purge, among the shinobi elite it was still a topic of conversation and controversy.

Sitting down, Jiraiya sat back against a tree and looked up at the sky through the foliage. "You'll forgive an old man for growing sentimental, but sometimes I wonder about what my legacy will be. I've lived a long and eventful life, I've tried to do the right thing but too often I've screwed it up anyways. It's not techniques you want from me, no. You are young, you are talented, and you know it. That's the danger, knowing how powerful you can be with no sense of direction."

"I've been thinking a lot since the bridge, that shinobi can't just be weapons anymore, the old ways will not carry us into the future. We have to become more. So tell me Jiraiya-san, what is the next step?"

"There's an old story, and I forget how it goes. But four young men each had a wish: one wished for fortune, one for power, one for fame, and one for wisdom. The first three each made their mark, but the one who wished for wisdom shaped the world around him greater than the other three combined.

"You want wisdom boy? I have a few things I can teach you. Sit down and get comfortable, and let me teach you about the first thing you need to understand to live a good life… women." 

* * *

Bai's head rested on her shoulder as the rest of the white serpent slid inside her robes and wrapped around her waist. This high up in the mountains the temperature was colder and Anko did not blame her snakes for not liking it. But it just so happened that the fortress up here had been built by an eccentric underworld boss liked how remote it was. Danzo's file mentioned his suspicion that the mountain location had secret gold veins, owing to the fact that the criminal organization did poorly in its other operations.

With her heat vision Anko saw every body inside the fortress. Refining her vision had allowed her to see greater details about the people she fought. She could now sense blood flow, heart beats, muscular structure, and even some subtle anatomical details were now easier for her to detect. None of the men in the fortress intrigued her, truth be told the last person that had impressed her was…

'Why do I keep thinking about him?' That night in the forest remained on the edge of her memory. And though father was more concerned with her fight against the Uchiha boy, Anko's thoughts were more on the young man from Kirigakure. Truth was: she left Konoha early to get away from it all, though not before telling Father all about her fight.

_"Your opinion on the boy Anko?"_

"Honestly? He's young, doesn't know his limits, and those eyes of his are unpredictable. If you decide to take him you don't want to do it too soon, because you'll be weak. You don't want to wait too long, because he may burn himself out. I'd say you're best off just taking his eyes and finding a new body."

"The sharingan are just a small part of this daughter. The body transfer technique requires a mental connection to work properly. You fighting him was part of shaping his psyche. That will drive his development, and one day when he is ready, then I will take his body. You have done well Anko."

There was something uncomfortable about the thought of Father in a new body so soon after his most recent change. She had come to terms with the fact Orochimaru was not exactly human years ago, perhaps the awakening of her own powers had helped that, but there was still something monstrous to those eyes.

"Your thoughts are surprisingly heavy Anko." Kimimaro was leaning against a tree, with his serene composure that hid the fatigue he often felt. Traveling for the past four days had been difficult, but Anko had seen it come out despite his efforts to hide it.

"We don't have much time Maro." Anko had two nicknames for her brother. "Kimi" for when she was acting the part of younger sister, following his lead, and "Maro" for when she wanted to be assertive. In recent years, she had used "Maro" more often. On her right arm Qing turned into her tonfa weapon as she made marks in the snow. Her vision had found their target, not the Underworld Boss, but the book-keeper.

Leading the way, Anko found it easy to avoid the guard's attention; white robes made it easy to blend in with the surrounding snow. Scaling the side of the wooden buildings, Anko neatly sliced open the window which led to the room where the scrolls were stored.

"Maro. Watch the hallway and knock out anyone who approaches. Let me deal with the book-keeper." Kimimaro waited by the door, pulling from his sleeve one of his old femur bones he often used as a club.

The guard, half asleep, went down easily. The book-keeper, a man with a pointed nose and thin mustache that comically gave him a mouse-like appearance started to gasp as Bai sprung into action. Biting him above the clavicle, the serpent injected a unique venom which caused short term memory loss and made the recipient answer questions easier.

"You will answer all of my questions, yes?"

Though his small eyes glazed over it was clear to see the venom was working, "Yes. I will."

"Then tell me everything you know about the 'Legendary Sucker.'"


	19. Chapter 19

Note: Set the night of Naruto Chapter 92. Technically Haku in Chapter 18 is a day ahead of us at this point, so this chapter is a bit of backtracking, but we'll all be "on the same page" by Orphans of Time Chapter 21.

* * *

Sneaking back into Konoha was the last thing Anko wanted to do at this point. Tsunade's trail was growing cold, but if her plan was going to succeed she needed to apply pressure on a certain money lender who had come to watch the Chuunin exams.

"You'd think the world revolves around Konoha this time of year."

"The exams are every six months Anko." Kimimaro reminded her. The hidden cave was an old Anbu station just outside of Konoha's tracking sphere. Anko hated how often Kimimaro had to rest. Seeing him in his weakened state added a sense of urgency to her mission. Laying him on the cot, she pulled out a prepared bandage with seals set on it to dull pain and bring restful sleep. An instinct told her to touch the curse seal on his sternum. His skin was warm except around the seal, cold to the touch. Letting his head rest on the pillow she went out into the night.

Infiltrating Konoha was second nature to her, not even her father had her skills. Ever since she had awoken the third stage of her seal of heaven things felt different, as though she could feel the heartbeat of the world around her. Bai woke up in her sleeve and wrapped around her neck. Her connection with the white snake added a new layer to her awareness; while her eyes were trained to see details in the night, with Bai's senses she could even make out colors as clear as though it were day.

Reaching the chakra detection perimeter, Anko began making seals to regulate her body's chakra as she passed through. Opening her tenketsu wider would allow the excess chakra in the air to pass through her, making her appear to be part of the field, rather than an empty space in it. Originally intended to be a technique against the Hyuuga's Juuken, it was proven ineffective, but Anko had experimented with it in private and found this to be an effective use of the technique. It required precise chakra control, and multiple people using it in proximity would create a resonance that would cause detection, so it was ideal for solo infiltration rather than a large scale movement.

"Your thoughtsss are heavy tonight Anko." Bai hissed in her ear. "I can sssmell your anxiety."

Anko remained silent. Her snakes had given her cause for suspicion. Last time she was at home she knew Orochimaru had them report on her. She had never hidden anything from him before; perhaps that was why she was nervous. Her gut told her that father knew what she was up to, but that troubled her too. Was it that he trusted her to complete her own initiatives, or that he didn't care? Despite all her progress, all the ways she tried to please him, his gaze was firmly set on the young Uchiha.

Finally in the city, she did a quick map of the city guards hiding in the shadows. Tonight was busy, the air felt heavy. In the clear, she closed her technique and melded into the shadows. Her first stop was a high scale inn. An establishment like this one would not only have records for all of its guests, but also the guests at nearby hotels. The record room was being watched by a lone bookkeeper. Shrugging her right shoulder woke up Qing who joined Bai in a low hiss that became an auditory genjutsu that lulled the man to sleep in moments.

After finding the name she was looking for she escaped out into the night and made her way to the inn. Staying low to the ground, she timed her movements to avoid detection by the rooftop guards. It was well past midnight, thought he moon was full and lit the city in what felt like a menacing light.

Finally reaching the hotel she was looking for, she found a sight she was not prepared for. The hotel was decorated with two giant, ornate statues of fish with bells hanging from their curved tails. Sitting on top, silhouetted against the moon, was none other than Gaara of the Sand. Bai and Qing slid into her robe hissing something about a "beast".

"You sure got me… do you not sleep?" Anko knew the voice all too well. Dosu was on the roof with Gaara.

"What do you want?" Gaara said with a menace to his voice.

"I was planning on getting you as you slept but…" Jumping up to the roof, Anko landed on the fish on the opposite side of the roof from Gaara.

"But what you idiot?" She said, interrupting Dosu.

"Anko! What are you doing here?" Ignoring Dosu, Anko turned her attention to Gaara. His dark eyes set in darker circles looked as black as death itself in the night.

"You two should leave. 'He' gets blood thirsty during the full moon."

A sensation built up in Anko. Her spine tingled and she felt her lungs burn with a warmth she had only felt a few times. Dosu disappeared for a moment in the world as she locked eyes with Gaara. Those unsleeping, unblinking eyes were a mask for something hidden inside. There was a monster inside of him, but he was not the only monster on this roof. The last thing Anko wanted was a fight; this was neither the time nor the place. Her body did not respond to her desire, as the Seal of Heaven on her neck spread without her conscious activation in response to the sand gourd on Gaara's back dissolved and fused to his skin.

"What is this? What are you?" Dosu said, trapped in the middle of an encounter between two monsters. 

* * *

Haku had come home from his encounter with Naruto and someone whose description could only be Jiraiya the Sannin. Having fought one of the Sannin in single combat, Zabuza had to give respect to the title, but it did not weigh heavily on his mind. The books he had requested from the archives were more than he had expected.

The first volume was nothing more than a personal history, with the second and third volumes full of nothing but metallurgy and forging techniques. Too tired to continue, Zabuza sealed up the books and went out to get night air. Yamato's unsleeping, watchful eyes saw him leave the apartment and did not seem to question Zabuza's presence. Exchanging a look with the odd, young man gave Zabuza the impression that Yamato was perfectly content to just stand there.

"Are you going out or not? You've been cooped up inside all day reading those books."

"I thought there was something about a curfew."

"You'll behave yourself. I'll give you a half-hour to stretch your legs."

Deciding it best to not question the man, he decided to enjoy his freedom by walking the empty streets of town. The full moon seemed brighter than usual, he didn't like it. Coming to a stop he concentrated the chakra in his feet to step lighter and leave no tracks in the dirt ground.

'Something feels wrong tonight.' The thought persisted on the edge of his consciousness, so he decided to explore. It did not take long for him to find a plot to fit his suspicions. The consulate for Sunagakure had an open-air garden that was oddly absent of nearby Konoha guards. For being the headquarters for a rival village, it was not guarded. Either there was a lot of trust between the villages, or this was a planned moment. Breathing from a nearby rooftop led him to find a Konoha guard unconscious. Checking the man's pulse led Zabuza to detect he had been knocked out by genjutsu.

"…if they find out your meeting with me here, our plans to crush the leaf… everything will be ruined." The voice was not one he recognized. "I had heard you were Orochimaru's right-hand man. You're uncovered by the leaf and then show up to meet me like this; this isn't what I was expecting." The name Orochimaru boiled his blood. A crash nearby distracted Zabuza for a moment to look over at a nearby rooftop, two figures, neither looking human jumped at each other for a moment before disappearing into the night.

"Stupid girl… to be accurate… they didn't uncover my identity, I uncovered it myself." That voice Zabuza recognized. The glasses shining in the moonlight were a clear indicator. That white-haired idiot Kabuto, if he was Orochimaru's right-hand man… cursing himself for not bringing the Kubikiribocho, Zabuza tightened his fist and swore to himself.

'No, I don't need that sword to beat that bastard.' Truth that he didn't want to admit to himself was that until he knew the origin to the sword, he was afraid to use it.

Kabuto handed the Sand Jounin a scroll. "Here are our plans. Also, it's about time your men know about this plan, so please inform them."

"Yeah." The Sand Nin's body did not turn, but his muscles were tensing."

"I'll excuse myself then." Kabuto turned to go but adjusted his glasses. "Oh, one more thing… I'll clean up here. I'll test what kind of guys they have moving around." Zabuza's eyes quickly scanned the garden, before realizing he had not been detected.

"No, I'll do it. As a partner the Sand should do something too. Plus, it's only one rat, no problem." The man's focus turned to the Konoha Nin hiding in the shadows.

Zabuza grabbed the munitions pouch on the unconscious guard's leg and strapped it to his own. Tightening the bandages around his mouth, he stepped to the edge of the roof he threw a kunai at the Suna Nin's feet.

"It's none of my business what you two are planning, but you bastards really do need to learn how to count. Hey Konoha, let's teach these two how to dance."


	20. Chapter 20

Some of the greatest jutsu are nothing more than a trick. A trick of the eye to distract your opponent for a second while you strike their blind side, a false trail to lead them away from following your team, a genjutsu to give them a fake memory in order to feed the enemy false information. The greatest trick is one that every Shinobi plays on themselves, to fool yourself into not being afraid. After having faced Orochimaru, Zabuza could think of no greater fool in the world than himself.

The rooftop garden had a small pond with fish, a small advantage but he would need more water to pull off any great techniques. No longer alone, the Konoha Nina drew a sword from his back and seemed to disappear in the moonlight. It was hard to track his movements; it was as though the light form the moon actually hid him while any shadows would show his location.

Taking a straight tanto blade from the Anbu at his feet, Zabuza jumped down to the garden and made a lunge for Kabuto who adjusted his glasses as he dodged. Focusing his ears he threw two shuriken at Kabuto. Jumping back to the wall of the garden, Kabuto began making hand seals that made his hands glow faintly.

"I'll handle half-mask, you take glasses." Coughing, the Konoha Nin faded back into view for a moment before disappearing again.

"They don't want this fight to go too far, or else they risk detection. Stay close Konoha." At that moment, Zabuza remembered the Konoha Nin. He was the instructor who had managed the fights in the Chuunin Preliminary matches. Was his name, Gecko? Gekku? It was something like that.

Sure enough Kabuto and the Nin from the Sand didn't make a move to run away. Glasses circled, trying to find an opening. The Sand Nin was dodging attacks from the invisible Gekko before jumping back into the shadows in the far corner of the garden. Once there, his hands began to glow as well, but it was different from Kabuto.

Keeping both Kabuto and Sand in sight, he began to make his way to the pond in the center of the garden. Glasses obviously noticed this and made his way in-between Zabuza and the pond. Everyone now in place, it was time to start this dance.

Making a quick grab into the equipment pouch, Zabuza pulled out the inkset and a blank scroll. It would take other shinobi several minutes to write by hand what he was about to do in seconds. Manipulating Ink like water was tricky, but Haku had developed a seal sequence with his special one hand seals that was so complex that Kirigakure scholars were still trying to adapt it to a two-handed seal process.

Jet black ink disappeared against the night sky before splashing against the white scroll as the page unfurled in the air. Giving the bottom edge of the seal a twist with his free hand caused the scroll to spin overhead before landing in his hand. Spinning the scroll in the air in front of him, he cleanly sliced through it with the small Anbu tanto.

"Umi no Ken." Water sprang from the ground where his shuriken had "missed" Kabuto's feet and from the small pond before him. The thin streams of liquid swirled around the small sword until it grew greatly in size to almost rival the Kubikiribocho. The double-edged sword was light in his hands and as alive and fluid as water. Blade of the Sea, it was called, the technique any of the Seven Swordsmen would use in time of need.

"A battle of the elements then." The wind on the rooftop began to pick up as the Sand Nin stepped forward from the shadows. Of course, they were the village of sand in the Land of Wind. Shinobi from there had a particular affinity with wind jutsu. Ripples seemed to move along the surface of the water sword, like miniature waves.

Kabuto's hands ceased glowing as he reassessed his position and began to sink into the ground.

"Not likely you worm!" Gekko threw out a chain hook and pulled Kabuto out of the ground and into the path of his sword. "Mikazuki no mai!" His form split into multiple shadow clones that each struck Kabuto from a different angle. Glasses emerged with a cut on his side and upper left arm. He held a hand to the cut on his side with a glowing hand.

'A healer.' Zabuza noted to himself.

"Kaze no yaiba." The wind made a sound that mimicked the sharp slash of a sword. With no time to think, Zabuza stabbed his sword into the ground and let the water flow to where Gekko stood in the path of the invisible blades.

"Suiro no jutsu" An orb of water surrounded Gekko, both drowning him and protecting him from the swords at the same time. The force of the air blades dissipated harmlessly into the water which rejoined Zabuza's sword as he pulled it back from the ground. Kabuto had moved into position behind him, it did not allow for much time to act.

"Kiri bunshin no jutsu." Turning the water of the sword into mist, he quickly switched places with his weapon which was hit by Kabuto's strange hand. Kabuto obviously saw the bandages on his left arm and seemed at attack the still healing wound. Finally in close range, Zabuza spun the short sword in his hand and head butted the arrogant glasses prick. Satisfied that he had cracked one of the lenses, Zabuza followed up with a powerful overhand chop that took the man's head off. No, it was an earth clone. Where was he?

Even the Sand Nin seemed to have vanished from the garden. Pulling Gekko to his feet, Zabuza seemed to hear a faint voice in the lingering wind. "It was fun playing with you Zabuza-kun. I can see why Orochimaru-sama had such fun playing with you. Do take care of that left arm; I'd hate to see you lose your sword skills like that."

"What was that about?" Zabuza flexed his arm and found the wound completely healed.

"I think you're going to have to come with me Zabuza. I have to report this to the Hokage and you are going to have to answer a few questions."

"He's free to ask his questions," Zabuza smiled under his mask, "I'll be sure to treat him with the same respect I give the Mizukage." His smile faded, 'And maybe I can get some answers of my own.'

* * *

This thing was strong, but it was not fast. Anko's punches felt like they were hitting sandstone, not that she couldn't break it, but the sand quickly reformed back into shape as though no harm had been done at all. Already she was in her second state, barely holding back her body's desire to transform.

"Kill, kill, kill." Gaara's words seemed to echo on themselves, as though he were speaking with two voices. There was a difference between him and Anko. Gaara was a Jinchuuriki, one who had a tailed beast sealed inside; opposed to Anko, who was already a monster. But Anko knew her strength had limits, Gaara was only going to get stronger and this fight had to end quickly.

"Orochimaru-dono is not going to be pleased by this. He wanted to keep Gaara a secret until the Chuunin Finals." Bai and Qing were understandably worried, but there were not many options other than to put them Gaara down and quickly. Gaara's attacks were frantic. He swing his tail like a great club, the shockwave that followed was almost paralyzing and made it hard to dodge the next strike.

'Wait, shockwave.' Anko mused to herself before coming up with a plan. "Qing, get Dosu and bring him here. I need his help." The snake disappeared from around her neck in a puff of smoke. "I'm going to need you to stay still Bai." The white snake wrapped around her neck ceased all motion and began concentrating her chakra into Anko.

Dodging Gaara's monstrous claws Anko led him into the Konoha sewer system, hoping the water would have an effect on the sand. The sand seemed to shift consistency again, making Gaara only lose trace amounts as he waded in the knee deep water. His breathing was deep and reverberated menacingly in the dark tunnel.

"I can hear your heartbeat girl. The blood in your veins runs so very hot. Shall I cool it down by spilling it into the water?"

Anko felt the scales of the second stage harden on her skin. Her arms thinned, her torso stretched, and her legs fused together as the final form of the seal of Heaven began to change her. Of all the changes her body went through, it was the flattening and forking of her tongue that seemed the most alien for some reason. As the energy from her body finally balanced with the energy coming from Bai's meditation, she coiled her body and launched forward at Gaara. Wrapping his body with hers as a snake coils around its prey. He was still so powerful, he stumbled backwards, ramming her against the hard wall until it burst, sending them both tumbling down several stories into the depths of Konoha's reservoir system.

Feeling Qing's presence above brought Anko back to her senses as she tried to slither away from Gaara. Not only was he still conscious but he had a firm grip on the end of Anko's tail. Trying to regain balance was impossible as the ground was slick and he pulled her whenever she tired to get away. His claws dug into her scales, scratching but not penetrating.

Dosu's fear was plain to smell in the night, the final blow would have to come from him. Qing wrapped around the Melody Arm and changed into her Jade Gauntlet form. Being able to manipulate nature, of metal in particular, was the reason she had chosen these two snakes as her companions. Nearly doubled in size, and enhanced with the serpent's strength, Dosu's weapon had become something truly formidable.

A knot formed in Anko's throat as Gaara began to grow in size. When he had first transformed he was four times his normal size, he had now doubled from that point. Anko began to scream for Dosu, but a hand around her throat cut off all sound.

"If you hadn't shown up, I might have been content to just kill that boy and be done. Now I don't think anything will stop me short of the rising sun and Konoha will be rubble by then." The sand around Gaara changed in shape and now completely surrounded him, "Before you die I want you to know my name, a courtesy from one beast to another. Shukaku." Jaws dripping sand instead of saliva opened wide as he loomed over her. From above a faint ringing sound filled the chamber. The Sand Tanuki's small ears twitched up before his head turned, but it was too late.

"Fuicchi no ken!" The tones that rang out were both beautiful and sorrowful. Anko was unable to even feel the full force of the attack as the world was lost to the sound. Bai nuzzling the side of her face woke her up from unconsciousness. Adjusting her robes, Anko managed to stand up and face the scene before her. Dosu stood over a barely conscious Gaara, whose sand armor had been beaten into the ground beneath him. It slowly took on the form of the gourd it was often seen in, but his sand armor was recovering much slower than usual.

Anko could not shake the feeling that despite all their powers, all their training, they were just three teenagers would did not know what to do. Qing removed herself from Dosu's arm, and the weapon returned to normal. In the moment before Gaara's armor reached his head, Anko stepped forward and slapped him hard on the cheek. The sand armor covered the red flesh and when it reached his head he disappeared in a miniature sandstorm.

"That was for him." Turning to Dosu she punched him hard in the face. "And that's for you, idiot! You knew we were planning something with Suna, and you go and attack the Kazekage's son!"

For the first time in many years, she saw Dosu remove the bandages from his face, something he rarely ever did in private. "I'm sorry."

"Get back to your quarters and prepare for the Chuunin Finals. I'll talk to father about what he wants to do with you." As Dosu disappeared, Anko felt as thought she recognized a presence in the darkness behind her. Danzo's base was somewhere in these tunnels, most likely it was one of his underlings. Her father was the last person she wanted to see, but after this stunt it was going to be necessary to report to him, and she feared that more than she had feared the fight with Gaara.

* * *

End notes:

- Umi no Ken - "Sword of the Sea/Ocean" Releasing the seals of a scroll around a simple blade causes it to be a sort of "water magnet" that can be shaped into the form of a sword that can cut. The water can be compressed and used for other techniques as well.  
- Fuicchi no Ken - Fist of Dissonance. The Fusion of Dosu's Melody Arm with the Jade Serpent Qing enhanced his weapon's sound powers to the point where the can concentrate the force of soundwaves to increase the speed with which he attacks. Dosu broke the Sound Barrier with his attack that leave anyone witnessing it in a state of sensory overload which leaves only their sense of hearing working.

- Confirmation: Anko's third state of transformation is similar to that of a mythological Naga. She is learning to fuse her chakra with her snakes, but has yet to learn anything about Sage powers... yet. When she referred to herself as "Sage of the Serpent in Chapter 10, it was more a title she thought up than her actually being a Sage.


	21. Chapter 21

Four faces watched over the night as silent guardians protecting the city by the force of their memory alone. The third Hokage was still alive, but his age had become a noticeable factor in the slow drop in his activity. A false door built under the first Hokage's head led to a series of chambers that Orochimaru had managed to keep hidden. Anko always found it interesting that the entrance was so close to the path that Konoha used to evacuate civilians in time of attack.

Instead of a torch she picked up a small crystal sphere, reacting to her chakra and other spheres along the wall the crystal lit up and illuminated the hallway. Dosu had returned to the Sound dorm, odd that he hadn't mentioned anything about Kin or Zaku. Her hearing felt sensitive all of the sudden as she heard voices down the hallway and to the right, especially strange as seals set into the walls were designed to absorb sound.

"Can't you see this is a disaster Orochimaru-san?" Kabuto's tone was excited, nervous.

"Relax Kabuto; Konoha knows nothing more now that it already knew. That you are not who you say you are. All they now know is that the Sand and the Sound are planning something together; they'd be fools to not expect that anyways. They already knew there was a connection between me and the Land of Sound through the Uchiha boy and Kakashi, so I honestly don't see what concerns you."

"You aren't worried about Baki and the Suna Nin at all? Konoha-"

"Konoha is already watching them like hawks. They'll wait to gather evidence before they make their move, but it won't be until after the Chuunin Exams. With all the money coming in here that is their number one priority; that is what makes them vulnerable."

Anko finally reached the room and was surprised that her hearing had been so sensitive; at least father had other worries than her fight with Gaara.

"Glad you could join us daughter." Orochimaru beckoned her over to him and placed his hand on her shoulder as he gestured to the table. "I'd ask why you are traveling with Kimimaro, but I respect your privacy enough to figure you have your own reasons and I'll leave it at that."

"Thank you." Anko knew something was odd. She had never had much privacy growing up; constant training had taken up most of her time. Perhaps this was a sign of trust, to be given free reign to choose her own initiatives.

"Kabuto, get the blue kit off the shelf there." Turning back to Anko, he said, "I did hear about your fight with Gaara from a member of Root who works for us. I need to get a blood sample from you to check on how you are doing after your transformation."

The procedure was fairly standard and Anko used a trick to close the wound using the muscles in her arm to apply local pressure.

"As expected" Orochimaru smiled, but Anko could not help but shake the feeling that it was not the same smile she had grown up with. He was different. "I won't keep you any longer; I don't think you were in town to see me so I'll let you get back to your travels. The exams are in two weeks time so I'll expect to see you again in Oto in one month's time.

Out of earshot again, Anko's "superhuman" hearing picked up again. "Only thing left is to decide what to do with the Sound Three."

"Kin and Zaku are done. They know the price of failure. Dosu might be a problem though; he was arrogant enough to challenge Gaara. We might have to arrange something to happen."

Anko stopped in her tracks. This was all wrong. She had heard Orochimaru give the order to kill before, to his own subordinates even, that wasn't the problem. Putting her hand to her chest she felt her heartbeat was faster than normal, and she could not control it despite her training. "No, this is one time I won't let you have it your way." Running out into the night, she decided to add one more stop to her list of destinations. Only an hour until dawn, she had to move fast

* * *

"Can I go now?" Zabuza asked for the third time, he only genuinely wanted to leave the first time. Now that this meeting had gotten interesting he wanted to stay; only asking the question because he liked getting a reaction out of the old man's assistants.

The room had attracted quite the crowd. Sharingan Kakashi kept him in the corner of his sight. Asuma, the Hokage's nephew, kept a trench-knife palmed in his hand. The most surprising person was a strange white-haired man wearing red and green robes. Was this that Jiraiya that Haku had talked about? Yamato was the latest addition to the room, which was finally sealed by the Hokage's assistants.

Gekko stood rather boldly in the room, surprising Zabuza that he had the nerve to speak first. "Before this meeting goes anywhere, I personally want to vouch for Zabuza. I'd be dead without his intervention."

"I can vouch for him too," Kakashi added, "There are many things at work here, but I don't think the Kiri gennins are in league with Orochimaru."

Zabuza idly rolled his hands together, wishing he had his Kubikiribocho. He kept his guard up because he knew the psychology of situations like this. Someone deliberately trying to deceive others would make a show of friendliness, keeping them on edge was the surest way to gain their confidence.

"Orochimaru has already made his move." One of the advisors, the old man spoke. "He has revealed his intentions are for Sasuke." It was a bluff; he was trying to talk himself into believing it.

"We should go after Kabuto and Baki. Find out what they know." Asuma seemed a man of action, Zabuza respected that but he remained silent.

"Kabuto already escaped from us yesterday after trying to get his hands on Sasuke. But I after talking with Orochimaru in the Chuunin arena I'm convinced he's playing a psychological game with Sasuke. Kabuto and the Sand were talking about some other plans, the more we find out the better."

"Orochimaru has a history of slithering away," Jiraiya spoke, "but he's also arrogant. If we get too close he may disappear, but if we give him just enough room to move he may continue forward with his plans and we'll set a trap for him."

"These snake metaphors are getting old." Zabuza finally spoke up. "I fought the man in your so-called 'forest of death' and while I now realize I was outmatched, I realized something else. He's just a man like any other."

"I'd think you would appreciate that men can be symbols as well… Demon of the Mist." The Hokage spoke as he took a long puff from his pipe. "Orochimaru is a man, like you say, but he represents a selfish lust for power and knowledge that disregards the humanity of others."

"I still say it's stupid to call him a snake." Zabuza replied, completely uninterested in the debate.

"We have two weeks until the Chuunin exams, Orochimaru will expect additional security forces to be deployed for protection. There has to be some other reason to make his move at this time."

"An attack on Konoha at this time sends a message," A pretty woman with raven black hair, that Zabuza did not recognize, observed, "I'd say it's equally important to find out who would gain from such an attack."

The Hokage nodded to his assistants, the old man spoke. "Report back at noon to receive your assignments. Dismissed." Gekko gave one last nod to Zabuza before departing. Blowing out a large smoke trail, the Hokage nodded to his advisors to leave too. Alone with the Hokage and Yamato, Zabuza let down his guard and stared at the old man who looked him right back in the eyes.

"You're an interesting young man, I can see what the Mizukage intends to gain by sending you here at this time, but you have made this already complicated situation even harder to figure out." Taking off his Kage hat, he rubbed his bald scalp dotted with liver spots. He showed his age, but that was a mark of distinction in the shinobi world. Still, Zabuza had little respect for anyone who rested on their accomplishments. The old man was planning something; his eyes calculated every detail in his surroundings. Doujutsu such as the Sharingan or Byakugan may be able to see more details, but it was the interpretation of those details that made a shinobi great. In that respect, the Hokage's eyes were a greater weapon than any bloodline.

Reaching into his robe, the Hokage pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Tossing it down on the desk showed the seal of Kirigakure. "I got a letter from your Mizukage yesterday that intrigued me greatly. Before this conversation of ours goes any further, I'd like you to read it."

Picking up the letter Zabuza found it rather simple. Formal greetings, wishes for health and profitable business, et cetera. Inquiries as to the progress of the Kirigakure team seemed odd; she would already be getting reports like that from Ao. Before reading the last paragraph, Zabuza examined the letter and realized this was sent by land and not by Hawk. Doubtless this letter had been read by several hands before it was placed in the Hokage's. The contents of this letter were doubtless known to many already.

At last he reached the end and could not believe the words on the paper.

_After hearing confirmation that the Kazekage would attend the finals of the Chuunin Exams I made inquiries about a trip to Konoha to attend as well. I hope it will not be a great burden on you to make preparations for my arrival. A small retainer of twenty or so Kirigakure Chuunin and Jounin will accompany me as my escort. Send your reply to the village of Kushi, as that is where my boat will be making landfall._

The letter continued for another half page, but Zabuza knew this was the part that had concerned the Hokage. Yamato had moved from the wall and now stood directly behind Zabuza.

"So tell me Zabuza. I have Orochimaru and the sound Nin planning an attack on Konoha. I have the Kazekage on his way, his son – a jinchuuriki, in the exams, and an unknown alliance between Suna and the Sound. And now I have this," Taking the letter back from Zabuza, "an announcement from the Mizukage that she will be attending as well." The old man leaned forward and tapped out the contents of his pipe onto an ash tray on the table. "We have a lot to talk about, you and I."

Zabuza felt a rush of water within him. He was across the table from the Hokage, widely regarded as the Genius of Konoha, but he would not be intimidated or bullied. "Yes we do have a lot to talk about. How about we start with the team of Chuunin you planted in the Exams to try to eliminate me and my teams during the preliminaries? How about we talk about Yamato and the short leash you've had on me and my team since we arrived? How about we talk about Naruto, your own pet jinchuuriki?"

The most surprising thing was the Hokage's smile. "You do have a backbone." Standing up, the Hokage put his hat back on and motioned for Zabuza to follow him. "It's nearly time for breakfast; my wife gave me a rule years ago to never talk business on an empty stomach. Join me and maybe we'll each get the answers we want from each other."


	22. Chapter 22

Humans are so weak. Anko released her grip on the man's neck as he dropped like a vegetable. He'd wake up in twenty minutes with a headache and no answers to give. The Otogakure embassy was small, but the guards followed one of Orochimaru's basic security patterns. In less than a minute they were all blacked out on the floor. Checking the quarters she was pleased to find that Dosu had come here directly after being reprimanded. Outside a window she saw a familiar dark figure watching in the night, Danzo was having her watched.

Leaving Dosu alone, she checked the other rooms. Zaku was in the infirmary, with his dismembered arm in a containment tube. That gel it was suspended in would prevent any necrosis of the tissues. She found Kin in the last room down the hall. Using eye of the serpent, Anko saw an increased blood-flow around her eyes showed that she had been crying yesterday.

The supply closet had their things, but she needed to decide how to approach this. Extraction was never the easiest job, let alone in a case where she was trying to keep her targets away from Orochimaru.

'No, they're not my targets.' Years of training had her thinking so cold, inhuman. Sitting in a chair next to Zaku she held his remaining hand. 'They're my family.'

Looking over the clipboard at the end of Zaku's bed she looked over his status and was pleased to see he was generally in good health. There was severe damage to his chakra system the Aburame's insects and fractures to his air-tubes. Taking a scroll from her pouch she sealed away his arm and a few supplies.

"Get up." She woke Dosu first. Not waiting to answer any question she moved to Kin's room, disarmed her of the senbon needles she had hidden under her hand, and shook her awake. Kin reflexively moved to attack but held back in the moment her eyes adjusted.

"Anko, what are you doing here?"

"We're leaving. Take supplies for a two-week field drill and nothing else." She turned her head to Dosu who was looking on. Pulling a wad of bandages from his pocket he began to bind his head with his usual style.

Zaku was a small challenge. Putting a mild stimulant in his i.v. tubes woke him up fairly quickly. Taking a stethoscope from the counter she monitored his heart rate and helped him up when satisfied.

She only had to help Zaku down the stairs to the lower lobby before Dosu took his arm. Kin got the scroll containing the arm and their passports.

"You're lucky you made it to the next round of the Chuunin exams Dosu. At this time they practically give you free reign as long as you are training. Take the southern gate out of town and then make your way down the south-eastern highway to avoid detection. I'm going to leave a few false trails, including ones going in the same direction. There's a hot springs town about ten miles out, hide out there until I make contact with you tomorrow night. If I don't show up, head west to the old Hyuuga ruins."

"You honestly expect us to get away from him?" Zaku sounded half-defeated already. The air was tense, they knew Orochimaru was making plans for them, they knew what failure meant.

Grabbing him by the collar she pulled the slightly taller boy down to look him in her eyes, which she felt had changed shape to look like a snake's eyes, something that was happening more often. "Listen and listen good. What were you when we first found you? Miserable, street vermin, orphans of war, living off the streets, picking pockets, doing anything to survive. Did all those years of training turn you into quitters?"

Zaku's eyes were full of pain, but there was still a fire in there, even the smallest spark that had always been there. Looking around, she saw that same tiny bit of hope in Kin and Dosu. "Don't give up. Don't let one failure hold you back." Letting go of Zaku, she turned to Dosu. "Remember what being a Chuunin means, being a leader. Your team is wounded, miles inside enemy territory, and you're being hunted." Poking him in his chest to emphasize her final words, "Do you have what it takes?"

Time was short. She now had half and hour to finish what she had come back to Konoha for. Leaving the Sound Three behind, she ran back into the night to pay a visit to a certain money lender who had some for the exams.

The man was a pig, sleeping with his jewelry on. One particularly skilled Anbu had seen her enter the hotel, she had to assume she would be reported, but this would be quick. His monogrammed seal was in his pocket. Ink on the desk served to stamp one part of the document she produced from her sleeve. A simple katon technique lit a flame at the end of her finger the size of a candle flame to melt wax to seal the paper, and finally the seal had a wax stamp which would complete the illusion.

Such a simple task and yet it had taken her so long. Blowing out the flame, she hid the paper up her sleeve and felt her surroundings. Anbu was closing in… no, not Anbu. A man was very calmly walking the hall outside and opened the doors to the room. Through her senses she realized she recognized the man.

"Danzo, what can I do for you?"

* * *

It was well after dawn when Zabuza had returned to the apartment. After handing over a letter from the Mizukage and making a rude gesture at Ao he went right to sleep.

"One of these days that stand-offish attitude of his will get him killed when he finally makes the wrong person angry." Ao muttered angrily before leaving.

Haku found Chojuro reading over the same journals Zabuza was reading for the past couple of days. "Zabuza-san has been reading these journals like a man possessed. I was only raised to the sword a month ago and never got the chance to read them. If he finds something in these, I want to find it too."

Leaving the house, Haku found much less security was following him than normal. Stopping for a moment, he took off his mask and walked around town like a normal person, even taking off his forehead protector, and turning his robe inside out so the darker blue inside would face out instead of the light blue. With a few spare ryo in his pockets he purchased some herbs from a greenhouse along with a jar of picked garlic he found at a specialty produce store.

Breakfast at a local inn was well prepared; though the grilled mackerel was sub-par the miso soup was incredible. Deciding to go out and see the countryside Haku checked out at the southern gate before leaving the city. Haku had noticed it before, but the gatekeepers kept multiple sets of books, specific books kept for specific visitors – shinobi from other villages. More a courtesy than anything else, keeping things official was a fair measure of security.

A quick run through the forest and Haku realized that he was making his way back to the town where he had been meeting Jiraiya. There was something about the air in that town, perhaps the steam from the hot springs and thermal river that reminded him of home. Other places were too dry for his taste, that little village just felt right.

He could not help but see the fresh trails made in the forest, apparently there was a three-man team moving through these woods. But this close to Konoha that was nothing surprising. A mile out of town he hopped down to the road and enjoyed the nature walk and reflected on himself.

There's a strange sort of peace found walking outside with the sun on your face, it comes naturally. Humans seem to share a kinship with plants in that respect. It is a different sort of peace than one has when on a mission, a peace that stills emotions by force in order to heighten focus and reflexes. Zabuza's mind seemed to be struggling with the same problem ever since the fight with Naruto's team – how to be human and a shinobi?

For his own part Haku found the question troubled him in ways he did not have words for. It is one thing for a person to put together the pieces of a broken life, but what was one to do with a life where there is nothing left? Reaching the town Haku inquired at a bar Jiraiya had gone to the other day and found the Toad Sage was not there. Deciding to leave a note, Haku began writing a note to be given to Jiraiya but stopped when he recognized someone out the corner of his eye.

It was a clever transformation jutsu, but there are clear signs that can give someone away. Three farmers, two men and a woman, one of the men wearing an eye patch carrying a bundle of sticks the other with a "broken arm" in a sling. Of themselves, not particularly remarkable. It was the woman who caught Haku's eye. A farmer with long hair, well groomed and shiny; that's what gave them away; the Team from the Sound Village, right down to the one who had lost half of his arm.

Realizing that nobody had seen him without his mask, Haku knew that they would not recognize him. Playing a waiting game, he sat down and idly wrote on the paper, now more interested in the disguised ninja than in finding Jiraiya. After ten minutes of acting normal, Haku realized they were going to be playing the long game when they took their injured team mate upstairs to a room, leaving the girl downstairs to start a watch rotation.

In the inn's waiting room Haku found a hostess off duty and asked to borrow her shamisen. Sitting down he tuned the instrument and began playing a tune. The hostess listened intently, and soon a few patrons from outside came into the host room to see him play. Finishing his first song, Haku found it odd how comfortable he was holding a bachi. He made a motion to hand the hostess back the instrument but the customers asked for one more song.

After four more songs he finally was able to get away from the room and return to his private booth. Looking down on the sheet of paper he found the scribbles of half started notes and he crumpled the paper and threw it away.

"It's your eyes." The disguised girl from the Sound Team said. "You're not the best player I've ever heard, and when you're not playing you seem to hide your emotions pretty well." She looked at him revealing a half-started curiosity which faded. "But your eyes communicate the sadness of the songs when you play, especially that last song… though I don't think anyone recognized the tune."

"It's one I learned from my…" Haku stopped himself, he had forgotten all about his mother's playing when he was a child. The shamisen was not her instrument, it was one from far to the north where the Yuki Clan had lived. 'Sad songs stop snowstorms,' she had said to him, 'Ice giants who caused blizzards would stop to listen and their hearts would break, ending the storm.'

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about my mother." Her face was different, but Haku knew it was the same girl from that forest. He still wondered why he had made that crystal rose. "I was just trying to do something to take up time. I'm waiting for someone."

"So are w… so am I." A hint of nervousness was in her voice.

"I hope you don't mind terribly, but would it be alright if we sat together. Your companions have gone upstairs and it wouldn't be proper for a lady to sit alone."

"Well aren't you old fashioned." She smiled and nodded. Her false eye color changed back to her natural black from her false deep brown. Leading him to her booth they sat down and ordered a snack. Under the table he heard her feet shift, faint metallic sliding sound in her sandal. "By the way, I couldn't help but notice a small bulge in your robes." Haku realized she had a senbon needle grasped in her toes. Her tone was part playful, but there was a hint of worry there. "You carrying anything special."

Reaching into his robe, Haku pulled out the picked garlic. "A present for a friend of mine I was expecting to meet." She sat up in her seat and the needle slid back into a special groove under her foot. Haku prided himself of his deadpan, but it felt wrong at the same time. He was trying to act naturally, but at the same time he was hiding who he was from a person who was hiding who she was. At least her immediate fears were dissuaded and he did his best to have a normal conversation with her over tea.

Her disguise story was pretty good, but a part of him felt sad to have a conversation of this sort. His mask was tucked away in a hidden pouch in his robe, but she was wearing a mask of her own. For his part he decided to be honest. He was a simple villager from the east country who was enjoying himself on a vacation, every word true in a way that didn't reveal the whole truth. An interesting dynamic.

After half an hour her team mate with the eye patch disguise came downstairs and made some excuse for her to go up, an obvious change of shift. The way her team mate let Haku go without question indicated that he would find out later from her later. Leaving the shop, Haku was greeted with a familiar voice outside.

"Impressive work with the little lady." Jiraiya's voice was low and even. Cutting off Haku he began to take a road out of town. "You're becoming quite the little charmer." Haku handed the Sage the jar of pickled garlic, which he greedily began to snack on. It made for a decent diversion until they got out of town.

"Are you here to talk to me about the Mizukage's plan to attend the Chuunin Exams?"

"No, the Hokage already talked with Zabuza and Ao about her." Jiraiya would get a certain look in his eye whenever he talked about women, but mention of the Mizukage did not get a reaction from him, odd. The older man looked around, distracted, but with a calm look in his eyes he turned back to Haku. "Haku we know that Orochimaru is plotting something, something big. I want your help finding out what it is and also stopping it."


	23. Chapter 23

"I have a travel visa here for you." Jiraiya handed Haku an envelope in a private room on the other side of town. "This authorizes you to travel outside of Konoha for solo training exercises; Ao co-signed it and vouched for your character." Motioning to the bed Haku saw several bags of supplies. "We knew from Kakashi that Orochimaru was behind the Sound Village, but Zabuza confirmed our fears that he was plotting something with Suna. Our border agents know Suna well, but they are also known by Suna, any moves they make to increase surveillance will only arouse their suspicions."

"Which is why you want me to go 'train' by the Suna border? To be inconspicuous and watch for anything out of the ordinary." Haku realized the plan had merits, but coming to him meant the Hokage was obviously spread thin. "Why do you trust us? Kirigakure and Konoha have not always had the best history. Zabuza and I nearly killed Kakashi and his team after all."

"They're keeping Zabuza in the city, he's too big a name to let wander. He's loud and violent and has the worst attitude I've seen in a shinobi in a long time… I kind of like that part about him to be fair. Truth be told not everyone likes this plan. They're fairly sure there are no connections between you and Suna or the Sound, but they're not certain."

"Trust is a rare thing in the life of shinobi."

"Unfortunately." Jiraiya looked more serious than sad.

"If nothing else this will clear the air in Konoha. I'm one less variable the Hokage has to plan on." Haku's mind was making a web of connections, trying to figure out the angles each party was playing. Orochimaru had let enough information slip that he was in Konoha, making the Chuunin Exams a likely target, but he would have other goals. The Hokage was trying to hide his preparations for an attack with security for the Exams, but by not addressing the issue of Orochimaru openly it meant he was playing to pull the serpent into a trap. The Mizukage did not have to come in person; her trip must be for a reason. Finally Suna was a mystery to Haku; perhaps this "mission" would give him the last piece he needed to see it all.

Nodding to the older man, Haku put the letter into his robe and took the packs from the bed. Inside were travel clothes, scrolls, supplies for two weeks, maps, and essential supplies.

"Now one last thing." Jiraiya motioned to the table. Biting his thumb he made seals and summoned a large green toad who wore a vest with the kanji for messenger on its back. "Every night I want you to write a report. In your bag is a water stone, it's something the toad can find. Simply place the stone on top of the scroll when you're done and he'll get it and deliver it to me. Be back in Konoha the day before the exams take place."

A simple nod was all the old man needed before he turned to go.

"Oh, I don't know if I'll see you before the exams, but I wanted to say something." He stopped in the doorframe, his elevated sandals increased his height, but he was still a large man without them. "Naruto trusts you, and while he's naïve and inexperienced, I think he's right."

Preparing the remaining supplies, Haku changed into traveling robes and went over the map leading to the border with the Wind Country, but he let the map fold out to show the entire Fire Country. A nation surrounded by nations. It was remarkable really, one would think with foes on all sides the Fire Country would be in constant danger. But it really was like a spider's web, and the Hokage was pulling the strings, leading his enemies into the trap that he had so carefully baited.

"The problem is this trap will not just claim your enemies, but anyone foolish enough to walk in… so the question is what is the way out?"

* * *

The news from Ao did not make Zabuza happy at all. Haku, working as a spy for Konoha? Upsetting as that was he knew the kid would remember everything he saw. It had been long since that Zabuza had learned to let Haku do his own thing, seeing the world in details everyone missed. Haku reminded him of the Hokage in that respect, which was a somewhat disturbing thought.

It was well into the afternoon when he finally got up. Cold rice and fish in the fridge were good enough for a sort of breakfast as he went into the main room of the apartment. Chojuro was reading through the journals of the swordsmith. By the look of the volumes, the kid had almost caught up with him. But quality reading was more important than speed reading.

"What seals did the smith determine were the most stable for transferring his chakra into the metals he worked?" He asked quietly, the room was sealed against eavesdropping, but it didn't hurt to be quiet regardless.

"For quality steel that would hold and edge and not chip: snake, tiger, rat, ox, boar, tiger, and horse. For the sharpest steel that could cut and leave a wound that takes twice as long to heal: snake, rat, monkey, tiger, snake, dragon, and rabbit."

"And for the seven swords?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet."

"Theories on additives to coals to enhance the smith's chakra flow as he worked the steel?"

"Lemon grass, hibiscus flowers, eel liver, and turkey feathers."

"And what did you think about that chapter?" Zabuza returned his voice to normal.

"In all honesty… I think that one was just a waste of my time. Not only that, but half of these journals are completely worthless. Why he spends half of the second volume talking about the design of his forge, his personal gardens, and the need for high-quality garden tools."

"So tell me then," he took a seat next to Chojuro and held up the fourth volume, "Why is it that the volumes are all sealed so that you can't move on to the next without finishing the previous one?"

"From what I can tell, the books themselves are like sealed scrolls, only more complicated. The pages are supposedly one-hundred years old but there's no decay. Almost like chakra paper, which responds to a Shinobi's elemental affinity, the paper these are written on seems to prevent corrosion and decay. Not even dust or fingerprints stay on the page."

Turning the book to the first page Zabuza saw the instructions written clearly. The first time he read the journals he had ignored them: to read each page carefully, that knowledge would only open to those who had "walked the path", etc. Speed reading the first journal had not opened the second. Each journal was connected and seemed to know how long the previous journals were open for. Furthermore, each journal kept a record of the person reading it. Like a built in library card or something.

"We've gotten through three out of seven journals. I say we finish the rest." Zabuza said plainly.

"The Chuunin Finals are in two weeks. Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend your time training?"

Zabuza opened the first page of the journal and looked at the record kept of previous swordsmen who had read the pages. There they were: Mangetsu Hozuki, Hoshigaki Kisame, Momochi Taezu…

"This is training Chojuro; the most important." Taking a seat Zabuza turned the page and began reading again, there was a secret buried in these journals and he was bound to find it – bound by blood.

* * *

"Anko is not coming Kin, stop looking behind us like that." Dosu tightened his cloak and adjusted the straps that carried the cylinder containing Zaku's arm. Zaku was in the worst shape of them all; his eyes looked forward with none of the energy they used to.

"We left before she told us to. I just figured…" Kin's attitude had been strange ever since she had talked to that stranger in the inn, no even before then. This whole situation had put them all on edge. On the run from Orochimaru, it would do no good to look back. Orochimaru would come after them himself, and doubtless no amount of looking back would help, or else he had stopped caring about three deserters. Dosu wasn't sure which thought troubled him more.

"We're on our own for now Kin." The old runs of Hyuuga castle were in a vast field and would still take the better part of a day to get to, which is why he had chosen a different direction. The next time they saw Anko; would she be their sister or Orochimaru's daughter?

North-east of Konoha there was an old-growth forest near the Nara Forest. It was apparently the site of one of the battles between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, fire had burned most of the trees, but the Senju held their ground and won the day. It was the perfect place to get lost for a few weeks.

Stopping for the night, Dosu reviewed the medication for Zaku they had taken. Antibiotics, pain killers, chakra suppression meds to prevent his damaged system from overloading; though not a medic himself Dosu had picked up enough from Kabuto and Orochimaru about certain chemicals and their effects on the body's chakra systems. Hormones and steroids to increase physical strength, enzymes and nerve stimulants to boost chakra levels; that was only the beginning but he knew enough about the combination to learn that the pills were tailored to weaken his body but enhance his latent chakra potential.

"That doesn't make any sense. That Orochimaru wants us dead is obvious, but why give Zaku meds to increase his chakra?" Kin took the medication and came to the same conclusion Dosu had. She was quick to learn, though medical jutsu was something she had not been good at.

"Perhaps he wanted to dissect Zaku and learn about the damage to the system they put into him?"

"If he wanted to do that he would have just let him die and do it immediately, or start the operation while Zaku was still alive." Memories of Kabuto's experimental operations were as horrific to remember as they were to live through.

"It's obvious they had a plan for Zaku… and me most likely." It was clear Kin was sad; thankfully Zaku's breathing had been the same since the start of their talk, asleep. Pulling out a map Zaku looked at the options.

"We can't go back to the Sound. Most of the troops have not left yet, though they've taken position to kill Konoha's outlying hawk messengers in preparation for the assault. I'm not about to ally with Konoha or any of the other villages." His finger always seemed to trace back to Konoha though, and all of a sudden the plan began to form.

"Kin, I need you to watch over Zaku for a few days while I'm gone, but we can't stay here." Looking over the map for the nearest major city he tapped the map. "Make your way here. Konoha only has one team in town and they should be easy enough to avoid. We'll need access to the hospital though. I'll meet you on the roof to the hospital in four days time." Picking up his bags, Dosu went through his pouch for a certain scroll of notes he had kept and rolling through it by the firelight.

"What is it you're planning?"

"If everything goes right? We're going back, all three of us, to Konoha. Zaku will have his arm back and his body fixed, I'll fight in the Exams to send a message, and then when the invasion starts… we'll pick Konoha free of its secrets while everyone is too busy fighting."

"Big ambitions for a young man who was almost killed by Gaara."

"Funny thing about that. Almost dying has given me a totally new look on life, take a look inside and you might find it too." Finally reaching the place in the scroll he found that the information had been updated a few days ago, an update from Orochimaru's intelligence network. "We're going to make a comeback Kin. It's going to hurt, and we're all going to have to pay a price…" handing her the scroll her face turned white in shock, "Yes, his price."


	24. Chapter 24

"Anko, hold up here."

Kimimaro needed more frequent breaks of late; fatigue was common in the second stage of his illness. The danger would be in the final phase which would by all accounts seem to be absent of any symptoms; a few hours, at most a day, of perfect health before his body would just stop entirely. A shady tree by the side of the road seemed a suitable location. As much as she wanted to press on, she tried not to let her anxiety get the best of her.

"You're doing it again." Kimimaro was not looking at her, but the sound of her scratching her arms was obvious.

"Bad habit I picked up. I guess I'm still a little nervous after my fight with Gaara."

"No need to hide the truth from me. Sit down and talk." Sitting down did little to calm her nerves. Kimimaro took her hand in his, his flesh felt cool and his presence assured her.

"I think I can see why Juugo is so attached to you, you're very calming."

"Juugo is just a kindred spirit. A dichotomy of beast and man, our little family can relate to that." He sighed and leaned back into the tree. "That is what we are Anko? A family?"

"I'm not so sure anymore. I remember a time when we were younger. The rest of the world did not matter; father was building his own world. All that changed when he had his falling out with Akatsuki. He was always odd before then, a little cruel at times but I remember those nights when we would interrupt his research and we would all just spend time together. All that changed when he started planning his attack on Konoha."

Reaching inside of his robe, Kimimaro pulled a rib from his chest and worked the edge of the bone until it was sharp as a knife. Picking up a nearby piece of wood he began whittling. "When he first found me, I felt empty. My life had no purpose or direction, even before then when I was with my Clan I was locked in a cage and I had nothing that was my own. For years I felt so drawn to him, to his work. I remember how excited I was at the thought that he would choose me for the Fushi Tensei, and the depression I fell into when I was diagnosed with… my disease."

"It isn't father's plans that trouble me; it's exactly what you're talking about. How he subverts the will of others to follow his. All the orphans he collected, he gave them a home and a purpose – but it is his purpose. None of them, including you, were ever allowed to choose their own path."

He set down the wood and began to stand up. "There is a very old saying: when you save a life, you take ownership of it. Come, let us continue. I'm ready to keep going."

They traveled in silence after that. Years of training, of learning how to read together, playing in their time off, nights where they stayed up talking so they were groggy the next morning… all of it seemed to weigh down the air between them instead of lightening the mood. Anko's thoughts were heavy enough as they were: dealings with Danzo, concern for Dosu and the others, actually fearing for the next time she would face her father.

Arriving at the town was a relief. A small motel on the edge of town was suitable for her purposes. Ordering a two-room space for the night she helped Kimimaro with his sealing wraps and medication. Part of her couldn't help but think about Kabuto and those smiling eyes of his. He had been with Orochimaru for as long as she could remember. For a long time she had disliked his attitude, believing he was a negative influence on Orochimaru, but after hearing him give the order to kill Kin and Zaku her entire perspective was changing. It was one thing to know he was a bad man; it was another to think that he would turn on people who considered him family.

Leaving Kimimaro in the room, she went out into town. Danzo's intelligence had been tracking the Princess for years, following her gambling habits and trends. After a successful winter helping a mining company fight of bandits in the north, she would be coming south for her Chou-Han games. Dice was always her game of choice after a plentiful winter, in scant winters she preferred playing cards along the coast where she would work as an "advisor" for dock unions.

Finding her proved to be easier than she had imagined. It was the approach that needed consideration. Staying out of sight was easier said than done, not only was Tsunade a skilled Kunoichi, she was also rather paranoid. By the end of the day she had gambled away most of her winnings, which was impressive.

Finding the hotel Tsunade was staying at with her attendant, Anko debated whether to leave a note but decided the Princess' paranoia would get the better of her and she might just run. Instead Anko decided to put her forged letter to good use. A simple transformation jutsu made her look like a well-to-do thug and she paid a visit to gangster's money house.

The money keeper nearly lost his wits at the sight of a million ryo withdraw, but the official seal and spot-on signature were unmistakable.

'Bait to catch a slug.' She thought.

Going back to the hotel she found that Tsunade was drinking at the bar with her attendant, a woman known to be a skilled Kunoichi in her own right. Being only twelve, the alcohol did not hold any appeal to her, so she sat down in the restaurant and ordered some dango instead.

'Mmm, it's been far too long since I've indulged.' So many times she had tried making her own dango at home, but it never came out right. Holding the empty skewers in hand made her want to order more, but it gave her an idea. The bar was an adjunct to the restaurant, and on a wall next to the bar was a dart board. Getting up she began playing darts with a patron who was playing for fun. On their third round, after letting him barely win the first two she was delighted to hear him say those magic words, "Don't give up now little lady, I'll bet you one-hundred ryo you'll do better this time."

"Make it five-hundred and you've got a deal."

"Ha-ha, if you turn out to be a shark I'll gladly part with the money." There was a slight twitch in Tsunade's calf and she turned around in her chair to look at the dart board.

Anko made it a close game, but she intentionally lost and handed the man five-hundred ryo. Full of confidence, he bragged that he would take any comers. Tsunade stood up and put down two-thousand ryo, which according to Anko's calculations was the last of her money.

"One more time, against her." Tsunade stared at the man, but Anko could tell that she was really looking at her. There was something unsettling in the older woman's glare.

The man played a good game, even getting two bulls-eyes, but Anko decided it was time to stop playing and scored three right in the center.

"A man knows when he's beat." Putting down his money he walked to the bar, put his head in his hands, and muttered something about being played like a samisen.

Picking the money up, Tsunade began to split it up and handed Anko her share. As she held out her arm, Tsunade grabbed it in an instant and looked at her skin. "You should get some ointment for your arm; looks like you have a rash." Looking her in the eyes, Tsunade put her hand on her neck right above where the cursed seal was hidden under her robe. "And it feels like you've been bitten by some kind of vermin. You should be careful about wounds like that." Handing her earning to her assistant she pulled Anko away and said dismissively "Shizune, pay our rent for the night before I go and do something stupid with it. I need to have a talk alone with this one."

Being drug by the scruff of her neck was not an experience Anko liked, but under the circumstances there was little she could do about it. Orochimaru had talked about Tsunade's inhuman strength before, but his words did little justice to her grip. Before Anko knew it she was being drug through the kitchens and out the back of the hotel; one of the chef's objected when she grabbed a plate of dango on their way out.

Sitting down in the dirt with her, Tsunade finally let go and began eating the sweet treats. "I knew Danzo was keeping tabs on me, but I hadn't expected Orochimaru's brat to track me down. Tell me, what are you trying to accomplish? You have until I'm done with the dango to convince me."

Anko showed her own speed of hand by grabbing one of the dango from the plate and eating the first of three from the stick.

"I know there's bad blood between you and Orochimaru, personally I don't care about that. You're still the most brilliant chakra healer in the world and I want to hire your services."

"Well… you've already won me a cool thousand tonight." Tsunade proved to be a fast eater and was licking her fingers. Standing up she drew a circle in the dirt around Anko with her foot. "Stay there, if I send Shizune down in the morning she'll bring you upstairs so we can listen to your offer. Move from that spot before morning and I'll send you back to that snake in a box with ribbons in your hair. Deal?"

Regulating her breathing, Anko nodded and prepared herself for a long night. 

* * *

The travel to the north had been harder than she liked, escorting Zaku in his condition was not easy. Stopping for a moment she thought of Anko, how she was sneaking around with Kimimaro in much the same manner. Sisters taking care of wounded brothers.

The rendezvous point with Dosu was a couple of miles away, at a certain way station in the Fire Country. It was a well known spot in the underground shinobi circles for those who sold bodies. Part of the reality of the shinobi world that had almost made her want to run when she first learned of it. And yet this was the place Dosu had thought of.

A waiting room open to the public was just a façade for a crypt of secrets. Zangei, the curator, was well suited to frighten away anyone who did not belong. He showed them back to one of the rooms in the back that was for on-site operations; only used in emergency cases for bodies that had hastily been preserved. Thankfully shinobi from the Sound enjoyed a certain status in Konoha's underworld (it being the place where Orochimaru had recruited many for his mercenary army, and he was still famous in many circles).

Kin let Zaku rest on the table and waiting for Dosu to arrive. Until then her only company was the faint electronic hum of the machines and the bubbling of base medicinal gels.

Dosu came in the room first, followed by the man she had feared most in her Bingo book. The black robe with red clouds, the ringed finger, the dark complexion and those green eyes; Kakuzu was like looking at a living statue, quiet and expressionless.

"That him?" He said in a deep voice. Dosu nodded and walked over to a table to unfurl a scroll which held a full diagram of Zaku's internal chakra pipes and to the side he placed the container holding the arm. Dosu moved out of the way as Kakuzu began examining the contents on the table. He pulled the arm out of the container and blew into the hole in the palm, spraying the liquids inside back into the jar.

"I don't work for promises kid, you paid me to do an appraisal and I'll give you an honest one. Go outside and I'll tell you more after I've had a look at him."

Gritting her teeth, Kin stood up to her fear of the man and shook her head. Taking a seat next to Zaku, she held his remaining good hand. "I'll stay here."

"Brave girl." Kakuzu raised his sleeve, showing an arm that looked like it was stitched together by something black and unnatural. Several black chords exited from his skin and brought a book over to the table Zaku was lying on as others wrapped around the table like straps, holding him down. Finally he handed her a wooden rod wrapped with leather. "Have him bite down on that and do your best to keep him still because this is going to hurt like hell."

Hell proved to be an accurate description.


	25. Chapter 25

"I'm impressed you haven't moved." Tsunade's voice called from the second story window. "You even fell asleep sitting down like that. Come up and we'll talk."

Anko took a moment to stretch her legs before jumping up the side of the building. On the table Tsunade was looking over a scroll with her assistant Shizune looking on, a small pig wearing a vest wandered about the floor finding little pieces of popcorn that had been scattered about. Surprise took her when she realized what the scroll was that Tsunade was examining.

"When did you take that?" Anko demanded forcefully.

"While you were sleeping last night. The grip you had on that briefcase was one I remember Orochimaru using; any attempt to move that case would have woken you up. But the scroll inside your robes was not as carefully guarded." Lifting part of the scroll to show to Shizune put a look of shock on the assistant's face. "This is what brought you here? I assume you have more than this?"

Nodding, Anko had brought the basic information regarding Kimimaro's condition with her. The more detailed charts and scrolls were with him back at their hotel outside of town. Doubtless Tsunade would want to examine him personally if she were to accept the job but such knowledge was important to have from the start.

Tsunade's eyes did not rise from the scroll, "How much did you bring for the negotiation?"

"I have half a million, gold, on me. But that's for purchasing any supplies you need. Your fee is something else."

"Oh?" Tsunade sat back, tapped the table with her fingers, and faced Anko.

"I took the liberty of contacting a few of the loan sharks you owe money to. Truth be told you aren't intimidated by their goons and collectors, but there are some who have stopped letting you borrow money from them. The Ishimura Clan, One-eyed Ringo, the Tezuka Brothers, and the Silent Steps have all closed their doors to you. Now each of these clans owe my father a favor."

"Shizune, how much do I owe those clans anyways?" The young women flipped through a notebook and tallied numbers. Anko already knew the sum and she presumed Tsunade did as well.

"Between those four and their associated branches, it is around eight million."

"That's my offer. You do this for me and you walk away debt free." It was an interesting gamble, but Anko trusted in her luck and the saying that Tsunade was bad with gambling.

Rolling up the scroll, Tsunade nodded to Shizune. "Make the arrangements; I'm going to meet the patient. You know what we're going to need?"

"Yes Tsunade-sama." Bowing, the girl took the briefcase and took her leave.

Going to the window, Tsunade jumped down into the alley and waved for Anko to follow. "I've only heard about you in passing, talk that Orochimaru had adopted a girl from the village. I never figured him to be the fatherly type."

"Are we speaking freely Tsunade… hime?" Anko was unsure about the honorary to use with her.

"Please, Tsunade will do. And yes, I'm curious about you. You don't quite fit the idea I had about what his daughter would be like."

"I'll admit that I was impressed you knew about that. He is a rather secretive man."

"Which is what intrigues me about you - you are clearly mature for your age, yet you still have those youthful eyes, full of trust. The fact that you have that curse seal shows you are no amateur when it comes to the world of shinobi, but I think you are still young to the world at large."

"I started going on missions away from home since I was six. I saw other families, even lived with a few for months at a time. I have seen this world from the slums to the palaces."

"Yet you are still separated from them in your heart. You analyze them with your mind, but you keep yourself distant, detached. But you wouldn't have come here if this Kimimaro wasn't important to you."

"He's my brother; I would do anything for him."

Tsunade stopped and placed a hand on Anko's shoulder. "You remember this feeling. How you feel right at this moment." Not saying another word, they continued walking in silence. 

* * *

Having finished the second to last journal, Zabuza paced the room while Chojuro reread the volume. Every instinct he had told him that the journals were more than they appeared. There was a code inside them that needed to be cracked, because if read literally the truth was almost too hard to imagine.

Taking off his glasses, Chojuro pressed his hands against his eyes, obviously tired from the mental strain. "Let's assume for a moment that we're wrong and that there is no code."

It was not something Zabuza wanted to consider, but he relented. "Very well. The swords are alive."

"Well it would only make sense." Opening the journal, Chojuro turned to the pages that documented the creation of the Samehada blade. "The master required a large number of assistants to forge each blade, but the assistants are different with each sword. Moreover, the book lists makes mention of someone named 'Zu' who took weeks to make the seals for each sword's construction."

"More likely it's 'Zu' is code for 'Uzumaki' they had captured a sealing expert and brainwashed him to make the seals. Nobody would willingly do this."

"And yet it was done not once, but seven times." Chojuro made a point to flip through the pages again before slamming the journal shut. "I don't even know how I'm supposed to look at my sword the same way again."

Zabuza said nothing, since the Chuunin preliminaries he had barely touched his sword. Even then something seemed odd about its chakra. He had known about its ability to repair itself by absorbing iron and carbon from slain foes, but it was different thinking about the people who might have died making the thing in the first place.

The thought of Samehada haunted Zabuza as well. That room would never leave his memory, that horrid laugh that echoed through the room was inhuman; it followed Kisame as he stepped over the bodies of his former comrades. The man-shark smiled but said nothing. It was his sword that was laughing - a sword with a soul.

"You okay Zabuza?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about samurai." Those warriors from the land of iron had an interesting warrior's philosophy: that their own souls lived in the swords they carried into battle. "We have one more volume to finish, if we can get through it by tomorrow evening we'll still have a week to train before the final exams."

"Right." Chojuro nodded and put his glasses back on before sitting at the desk next to Zabuza, it was going to be another all-nighter.


	26. Chapter 26

The transition from forest to desert was not as sudden as it appears on a map. Where Konoha ended and Suna began was not as simple a matter of rocks and sand replacing forests and underbrush. Borders were a territory all their own, a dangerous and hostile environment. Not to mention the Land of Rivers lay between the two, but few ever thought much of Kawa no Kuni.

Rounding a dune, Haku looked out to see the thinning forest and searched the horizon for signs of any other Nin in the area. Heat distortion was a greater problem at midday than in late afternoon, but letting down one's guard is deadly no matter what the time. In the week he had been out here he had learned much about the environment, thanks in part to a journal Jiraiya had lent him about the sage's own experience in desert survival. It was strange though, how far the old man had chosen to trust a stranger from another village.

A strange sound chimed in the distance, one he had heard before. It was not the sound of an enemy shinobi, there would be signs of their presence if that were the case and he had found none. Pulling a tool from his pocket, Haku measured his relation to the sun and was able to mark his location on a map in his pocket. Every time he had heard the sound he marked his position and the direction he heard it from. He had noticed the pattern after the fifth location, but he had waited for more markers to determine whether it was from a single source or not. After twenty-six markers, no clear model was forming.

Tightening his desert robes, he returned to one of his camps and prepared his report for the toad to pick up. He didn't bother recording the movements of Suna Nin that he knew Konoha scouts would already pick up, though keeping track of both parties while staying hidden was proving to be more of a challenge than he liked.

'The phrase "fish out of water" comes to mind.' He thought to himself.

In two more days he was planning on returning to Konoha regardless of any developments. If nothing else this environment had been good training for his ice. How to create it in blistering heat and low moisture, and the nights had inspired him to experiment with altering the shades of his ice: black ice that became invisible against the night sky, ice that matched the level of ground and would only melt and go slick on command, even ice that mimicked the texture and grain of sand which he was particularly proud of.

In all the time he had spent in the desert, despite the natural beauty and the opportunities for training, the question still bothered him.

"I don't owe anything to Konoha, why did I agree to come here?"

Leaving his rations in the pack, Haku decided to favor a soldier pill instead for his evening nourishment. After placing the water stone by the scroll, he hid his supplies and went back into the desert night. Shedding his robes, mask, and hair tie near the base of a large sand dune, Haku walked to the top wearing only his undergarments and sandals. Sitting cross-legged at the peak, he closed his eyes and meditated.

The sand was still warm beneath him; the last warmth of the sun would take a few hours to disperse before the cold of the night set in. It was the same here, the sand; it was the same as the sand by the ocean.

Again he heard the chimes, but it sounded so distant. It was like trying to hear something while underwater. Putting his hands to his ears, Haku drowned out all of the sounds of the night. If he was right, it was not really a sound he was hearing but an echo of sorts, a signal. He closed his eyes and let himself do more than hear the sound – he wanted to feel it as well.

There was something familiar about the resonance, it hinted of his jutsu that used ice vibrations to pick up sounds. These echoes were odd, something was different about them. Moreover, it was hard to think of natural ice in the desert. Nothing about this added up.

When it had finally cooled down enough, he walked down to his robes and drank from his bottle of water. The sand was cold beneath his feet. A slight breeze swept through the desert, slowly moving the sands in directions only known to the gods.

"I guess I can't help my father's old superstitions." Haku sighed to himself as he redressed. In recent years he had learned what he could about his home village. Farmers were afraid of everything; being tied to the land was a hard and fragile existence. Superstitions helped people get by from day to day, even if all they did was delay people from their own inevitable and necessary search for truth.

"What is my truth?" Haku realized that he would not find his answers here, his time was not his own. The Mizukage was using him for the good of Kirigakure, Jiraiya was using him for Konoha's sake, and even Zabuza used him as a fighter but also as a friend. Leaving off his mask he created an ice mirror and looked at his reflection in the moonlight, not caring that he might be seen by a patrol. Touching the surface, he saw his soft facial features hid his feelings of worry and unease.

"When this is over, I'll find out. Until then…" donning his mask, his attention turned back to the desert night.

* * *

"Then we are agreed?" Dosu nodded at Kakuzu's words and the man left on a handshake.

Kin waited for him to come inside the recovery room and pulled out a map of Konoha she had taken from Orochimaru's base. It was not a map of the city, but of the hidden tunnels and vaults below the city and running into the mountain.

"He demands a steep price, but we can't argue with results." Zaku was asleep in a bed; he was back in one piece but was still under heavy medication. Reattaching Zaku's arm was the easy part, rebuilding his chakra network and repairing the pipes was the hard part. Earlier that day Zaku was awake enough for a test and Kakuzu confirmed that initial pressure and stress limits were looking strong.

"He'll be safe here while we go back to Konoha. This broker is affiliated with Akatsuki and doesn't do business with Orochimaru. Plus I bought him off"

"With the last of our funds." Kin, moved Dosu out of the room to not disturb Zaku. "We're broke, in debt to Akatsuki, on the run from Orochimaru, and your best plan to pay everyone off is to run back into Konoha right when it's a warzone."

"Kin, I know you don't like the plan. But we're out of time and it is our best option." Unwrapping the bandages around his head, Dozu walked to the room upstairs and began to tinker with his Sound Gauntlet some again. Ever since the night he had fought Gaara the metal seemed to change in hue to this metallic green. There was still so much about that night neither he nor Anko had told. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"It'll be better if I go too." Kin finally admitted.

"No, I can manage on my own."

"Even with Orochimaru attacking the town, the archives will most likely be guarded. You will need me if there are jounin guards."

"It's not the Konoha guards I'm worried about." Dosu stood up and walked to the window. The sun was going to rise soon and light would come in through the Venetian blinds. "I don't know what it was, but Orochimaru had some plan for the two of you. With you two gone he's likely come up with some alternate plan, but he's not a forgiving man."

"I know." Kin slid down against the wall and rested her head on her knees. "But still, I have to go. I need to know what he was planning on doing to us."

Finishing working on his weapon, Dosu methodically wrapped his face again and grabbed his cloak before opening the door. "Do whatever you want. I learned my lesson about not provoking monsters."

The sun was rising, letting light into the room. Sadly though, it was unable to dispel the darkness which had crept into their lives. Darkness they had willingly let in. A shadow loomed over them all. A snake had invited them into his lair with smiling eyes and promises of power. How empty his promises seemed now.

A familiar sound caught her attention as it drifted from downstairs. It was the faint beep from Zaku's pulse monitor. It was slow, but it kept going. He was still fighting to stay alive.

"We're still alive." Lifting her head, she dried her tears, grabbed her equipment and ran outside into the sun.


	27. Chapter 27

Stay in one place long enough, with an open mind and open eyes, and you will learn its secrets.

The Yuki Clan's ice bloodline was one which combined Wind and Water; two elements he had found most useful in the desert. Today was the morning of the day he had decided to venture back to Konoha, but that night had been one of strange dreams. Dreams of hidden ice, buried deep within his subconscious like something forgotten.

Since coming to the desert, Haku had developed four different techniques, but that worried him. In the years he had spent in Kirigakure, in the company of Zabuza and Ao he had been called a genius – finding uses for his Kekkei Genkai that went beyond normal techniques. Something was different, like something had been set loose inside him. It all seemed to go back to his fight with Naruto. He had seen an inner beast come out of the younger boy, something terrifying but awe-inspiring at the same time.

"There is something locked within us all." Opening his clenched fist, a single snowflake floated above his palm before melting with the sunrise.

The frog had come with a report from Jiraiya the night before. Talk of the Kazekage starting his trip towards Konoha, reports of advance scouts from the Sound village. Zabuza had confirmed an alliance between the Sound and the Sand, in part at least; how far it spread was anyone's guess.

Beyond the dunes was a flat desert with stone canyon passes carved out by ancient rivers, a road used by traders led past a small trading city that served as a border town. Travelers watered their camels and pack animals for treks through the desert, traders dusted their tarps before loading their wares onto their wooden carts. There was a criminal element to the town, men representing bandit tribes in the desert working out deals for safe passage through their territories. Suna Nin accepted many jobs to deal with the bandit tribes, offering their own protection, never going into full war for fear of losing potential revenue should those tribes cease to be a threat to travelers. Bribe the bandits or buy Suna's protection – those were the options to any who traveled the desert.

Stopping by the well, Haku drew a bucket of water to refill his canteen. Practicing his ranged skills he formed ice in the canteens of several nearby travelers. There would be talk of miracles or dark magic, but the truth was far simpler. A body's chakra can extend outward to alter the world around you; it can also be used inward to strengthen the body. A flow of energy, that's all ninjutsu was.

Something strange caught his attention from the well. The echoing from the desert seemed more distant, yet louder. The well was deep underground where the water table was protected from the extreme desert temperatures.

"That's it." The realization hit Haku hard, and he remembered reading about such things in books in Kirigakure's library. Turning around his new insight was distracted by noticing several people he had seen coming into town had vanished. There were around a dozen people he had suspected were shinobi were moving out, into the desert canyons. Doing some mental calculations, Suna was only a few hours travel away from the border of Kawa no Kuni, where they were. A forward guard would have no reason to travel back to the desert, and any local group would know to avoid making a move on the Kazekage while traveling. That meant that this was a foreign group making a play. And if they were making a move on the Kazekage it meant they had reason to, either to relay a message or ambush. There was not much to go on, but tying his canteen to his belt he walked back towards the desert.

Out of sight from the town, he broke into a run to catch up. They were staying just out of sight from the road, two six man teams watching each other's flanks from either side of the road. They had five minutes on him, but they were sacrificing speed for caution. Dropping down to the canyon, he traveled along the road and kept his ears open for any other unexpected persons in the area.

The sound came once more to his ears, louder now than ever before. It was a distraction, but a sweet one, like a mother's lullaby. Walking to the side of the canyon, he placed his hand on the stone and tried harder to listen. There was something deep within the rocks here, but stone was not an element he was strong with. Rather he felt with the wind around him, listened to any sounds out of the ordinary. It did not take him long to find them.

Pitched battle came to his ears from nearby up ahead. Explosions and the distinct clash of steel on steel as men cried out in pain. Donning his mask, Haku rushed forward but stayed out of sight. A man stood with a distinct hat on his head as men with the uniforms of Suna fought against men in dark brown cloaks. The Kazekage was not involved in the battle, letting his guards chase the invaders into the desert he walked up to the dead body of one of the shinobi at his feet and uncovered his face. The steel note of Otogakure was clear on the forehead protector.

"Damn that Orochimaru. It's not the first time he's sent assassins after me, but after forming an alliance he sends his own to die like this when he could have used them against Konoha is a pointless waste." Disgusted, he covered his face with a mask hidden in his robes. In a moment, everything fell silent, deathly silent. The sun seemed dark in the sky and a dark flash moved in the shadows. The shadow passed and the Kazekage turned back to see his two remaining bodyguards fall dead before his feet.

"Our deal ends here I'm afraid. I still have use for your son, but you're more useful to me dead than alive." Seeming to appear as a mirage, Orochimaru stood with a gleaming sword in hand behind the Kazekage.

"Watch out!" Haku yelled at the top of his lungs. Orochimaru turned his head behind him, and the remaining Sound Nin jumped towards Haku's position. There was just barely enough moisture in the air for his ice techniques, but before long it would get too hot. Jumping up he formed an icicle and stabbed the forearm of the first shinobi who attacked him, the man's weapon dropped from his grip and with a kick, Haku sent it flying at a second one attacking him his right. Forming a temporary ice platform in the air, he was able to get enough leverage to throw the man by the icicle into a third attacker. The remaining three attackers went for his position in the air, but letting the ice dissolve; he fell before their attacks hit him.

On the other end of the pass, the Kazekage was fending off Orochimaru's attacks with what looked like a golden sword. His eyes had a dark ring around them much like Gaara's had, Kirigakure files mentioned something about that altered appearance, but there was not enough research.

As the shinobi around him rebounded from their missed attacks, Haku formed his ice sand beneath his feet and ran towards Orochimaru. Zabuza had been brave enough to face a Sannin, to challenge someone near the top of the Shinobi world. It had been a long time since he had felt genuine fear, but in a weird way it felt appropriate at the moment.

He didn't have to look behind him to hear the response to his sand ice technique. Touching the ice would drop their internal body temperatures to drop dangerously, likely giving them frostbite, but it was not nearly as effective in the daytime as it would be at night. Instead he formed an ice wall behind him to prevent any thrown projectiles form hitting from behind.

Ahead the Kazekage was pressed hard by Orochimaru, who seemed to be toying with the man. There was a surprised look in the Kazekage's eyes, bewilderment and shock. Either Orochimaru had him in a genjutsu, or he was attempting to use a jutsu and failing. Having used up most of the moisture in the area, his ice attacks were at their limit. Uncorking his canteen, he threw the contents forward but Orochimaru caught it with his free hand. But water splashed onto this wrist and Haku knew he had him.

"Shimoyake!" The water on Orochimaru began to freeze and the flesh on his skin burned cold and turned black. The Kazekage used the distraction to push Orochimaru back, but the clever snake spun and cut his side with a deep wound. Facing the Sannin alone, Haku looked around in quick desperation for his next move. Behind the mask Orochimaru would not be able to read his face, but somehow he felt his inner thoughts were like an open book to the man.

"Well here's someone I did not expect all the way out here." Turning to the wounded Kazekage, a large snake emerged from his robes and coiled around the Kage, preventing him from moving. "Your mysterious defender is from Kirigakure, these are strange times we live in." Facing Haku again, Orochimaru walked as calmly as a prince though a palace hall. "You are the teammate of that young Mist Nin, Zabuza. And you possess the ice Kekkei Genkai. I must say you Mist boys have captured my curiosity." On the ground the Snake was starting to squeeze harder on the Kazekage, and stretching its jaws.

The next few lines of Orochimaru's prattle were drown out by that familiar tone. Letting his eyes follow his ears, Haku finally saw it, a crack along the ground where the canyon walls met the floor. He had one explosive tag kunai up his sleeve and only one chance to use it.

"Perhaps I'll capture you as well and dissect you." To anyone else that taunt would be enough to send them into a panic, and on any other day it would have worked on Haku; but not now, not this time.

Hidden snake hands jumped out from Orochimaru's robes and flew out at Haku, decapitating the first snake with his kunai, got the blood on the explosive tag he needed. Throwing it down and to his right, he hit the rock wall and jumped towards the explosion. With a kick he knocked the broken rocks out of the wall and fell down a shaft into the darkness. The vertical tunnel was part of a dried sinkhole, cutting down neatly through the hardened sandstone and other layers of rock.

Landing after falling for near a hundred feet in tight conditions was hard but nothing he hadn't practiced. Walking forward into the underground cave he paced out where Orochimaru had been standing and waited. In a few moments the Sannin appeared before him using the Hidden Stone's technique of traveling through the earth.

"An interesting choice in escape route, not the most effective as you've only succeeded in trapping yourself in a corner. I can see you by your body heat and I can assure you this is your final resting place."

Taking off his mask, Haku threw it to the ground and let his body heat sink. He knew he had dropped below freezing when he felt his internal heat matched the surrounding temperatures.

"The desert is an interesting place Orochimaru. I've been out here for weeks and it's felt like home, why is that do you think?" Haku asked.

Forming an ice cube in his hand, Haku channeled chakra into it to make it glow, faintly at first but brighter and brighter until the caverns around them were fully illuminated. All around the reality of nature sang to him a song now finally ringing clear in his ears for the first time in weeks. A gigantic underground cathedral of natural ice crystals of all shapes and colors surrounded them, extending for miles below the surface of the desert.

"Welcome to my world Orochimaru." Haku could see the low temperatures were already having an effect on the man, who held his frostbitten wrist in a wince of pain. "Out there you are feared as a Sannin, but here you are little more than a genin compared to me."

"Interesssting." Orochimaru hissed, his voice shivering from the cold.


	28. Chapter 28

"Eikyuutoudo." The ease of which Orochimaru had slid into the earth made the permafrost jutsu a necessity. Still it was an odd coincidence to find himself fighting one of the Sannin while on a mission given by a Sannin. Sliding his sandals from off his feet, Haku felt the ground frost crunch with a thin sheet of ice, there was a calming quality to the cold.

Across the cavern, Orochimaru did his best to hide his discomfort. Even for a legendary shinobi like him, the temperatures were starting to take effect. In addition to the permafrost jutsu and the natural ice, the room's sub-zero temperature added to his advantages. But the fight had not even begun; things were likely to spiral out of control.

Creating ice mirrors, he hid his movement and circled around behind Orochimaru. Illusions on the mirrors hid his true location, but the older ninja casually spun and faced up to look at the single mirror Haku was hiding in.

"Sen'eijashu." Hidden snakes sprung from Orochimaru's robes and shattered every mirror but the one Haku was hiding behind. Jumping back from the technique, Haku remembered the physiology of snakes, being able to detect heat signatures. The Ice Mirrors didn't fool Orochimaru for a second.

Though the snakes had been fast when they had been shot out from Orochimaru, they withdrew slowly. The cold temperatures would likely make any snake techniques pointless for him to use.

"Now that we have each found our first move to be pointless, against our opponent, shall we take this to the next level, Ice Sage?" Orochimaru's tone was mocking; Haku did not rise to the bait.

Realistically he knew his strength was limited to his age, he lacked the stamina and knowledge of an adult. The elemental advantage was still his though; Orochimaru was in the worst possible setting for a fight.

"My turn then. Futon: Daitoppa."

The force of the wind knocked him back 10 meters, but he caught himself on a rough path of ice. Thankfully his mask shielded his eyes from the shards of ice and sand sent flying by the wind technique. After a few seconds it became clear what Orochimaru's intention was. The wind was ice cold at first but the friction caused by the air's force was actually melting the ice and raising the cave's temperature.

Hurricane force winds tore at his robes, shredding them, his skin felt hot but he could still feel his ice in his core. Chakra nature did not depend on the environments; it relied on what was inside. At the moment the wind began to drop in force, Orochimaru raised a handseal to his mouth, but Haku was ready to counterattack.

"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu." The thin stream of fire caught the last burst of wind and expanded through the cave's narrow corridor.

"Hyōton: Setsugen." Drawing on his chakra, Haku created a wall of snow which rose to meet the wall of fire with a hiss. Though both walls canceled each other out, Haku knew his technique had already won this round. Without a continued source of heat the steam created by the collision of snow and fire quickly turned to mist and the temperature of the room once again started to fall.

Within seconds, all the half-melted ice refroze and solidified into sharp crystals again. Where warm air had once blown through the caves, it had become colder than it was before. The entropy of the fading friction energy served to drop temperatures fast to the point where Orochimaru's second fire jutsu was unable to even catch a spark.

Charging the Sannin, Haku began fighting the older man hand to hand. Despite his earlier boldness, he knew Orochimaru was the stronger of the two of them, but he played a confidence game and found Orochimaru was fighting to match him, not beat him. Psyching out his opponent was something he had learned from Zabuza and Kakashi's fight, the moment you have your opponent second guessing himself, is the moment you press your advantage.

"Hissatsu Hyōsō" With a one handed seal, he formed ice spears which attacked Orochimaru from beneath and to his left. Spinning in the air, Haku found an opening and struck. "Shimoyake." Feeling his punch make impact with Orochimaru's torso, Haku smiled behind his mask but was surprised to see the man's neck stretch from his shoulders and spin around his body before coming directly in front of Haku's.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu."

Landing a few feet away, Orochimaru righted himself and hissed as he clutched his side where Haku had struck him. Feeling his mind race and body frozen in place was a strange experience. Remembering the technique, Haku remembered that unlike a genjutsu which effects the central nervous system, this particular technique was a ninjutsu designed to sends muscles into seizure.

Feeling the skin around his neck, Orochimaru twisted his torso and seemed frustrated. "Interesting side effect of your frostbite skill, it prevents me from doing my Body Shedding trick. Between that and freezing the ground to make it hard to use my hidden earth techniques you really have built up quite the advantage over me in this sparring session." Walking over to the side wall of the cave, Orochimaru shook his head and looked up in no particular direction. "Doubtless by now the Kazekage has finished off the rest of my men and is already using this opportunity to retreat. He'll be impossible to find now. But it makes me curious, what drove you to attack?"

Seeming more comfortable with his surroundings, Orochimaru circled around until he was behind Haku. His long tongue slid from his mouth and around Haku's neck.

"Perhaps you heard tale of your team mate fighting me and wished to try your own luck against a Sannin. You Mist rookies need to learn your place in the world." Despite his natural fear, Haku thought it strange how clearly Orochimaru managed to sound with his tongue out of his mouth like that. Removing the mask, Orochimaru took Haku's face in his hands. "Such a good looking boy, I wonder if anyone has ever mistaken you for a girl." Things were quickly going from uncomfortable to creepy.

Ice formations behind Orochimaru grew in size, aided by the cold air pocket forming behind him. Concentrating his chakra was hard, as his entire body was still struggling from the genjutsu. His chakra was disrupted, but he did not feel powerless, all the strength he needed, all the weapons he could ask for were just beyond his reach, all he needed to do was reach of them…

A flash of realization crossed Orochimaru's eyes, turning his head back he saw the ice crystals slowly forming spears, enclosing on the two of them. With a smile, he faced Haku again and turned his head to the side, revealing his neck.

"You are a special one," opening his mouth, two teeth grew like snake fangs, dripping a dark liquid, "I wonder what effect this will have on you." With his bite, the world exploded in pain, shattering all ice in the cavern into small fragments.

"A gift of pain or a gift of power, the choice is yours young Sage." Finding the tunnel Haku had taken down into the cavern, Orochimaru's body twisted and contorted like a snake as he climbed out from the darkness to the desert sands above.

Haku collapsed to the ground in agony, the same bite Orochimaru had given the Uchiha child. It was no normal toxin; Haku remembered the sight of the Sasuke in the preliminaries, a seal of black flame spreading across his body. A cursed seal most likely. The flames burned inside of him, external chakra forcing its way through his tenketsu.

"No, not without a fight." Placing a hand over the bite, he focused what chakra he had remaining and used it on himself, freezing his skin, his muscles, his blood vessels, his nerves, and even his chakra network. He did not stop until he felt Orochimaru's Venom grow cold and freeze as well. Barely able to move, Haku scratched his wound feeling his puncture holes until he was able to pick at the frozen poison and pull it out.

The cold muted the pain, but every action has a price to be paid. Moving as carefully as he dared; the poison was pulled from his body like a tapeworm or other vile cancerous tissue. Did it take minutes, hours or days; he could not tell, but he knew it would be better to die by his own hand than by the Snake's fangs.

As he felt the last of the vile ice pulled from his veins, he fell back and began to feel his body thaw from his frozen state. The damage done to his blood vessels was likely extreme, if he recovered he'd likely always have a dark spot on the right side of his neck from the bite, if he lived that was.

It felt so warm, lying there in the frozen cave, feeling his blood begin to spill from the gaping hole in his neck. He swallowed, but his mouth was too dry for it to help any. With his last strength his picked up a piece of ice and held it to his neck as makeshift bandage, his blood melted the ice, but the cold made him feel better at least.

His last thoughts before losing consciousness were of his mother…


	29. Chapter 29

He felt hot. It was a strange sensation. The bed was too soft to be real, but the pain made him all too aware of the reality of his situation. Too tired to pretend he was still asleep, he stirred and opened his eyes to see his surroundings. A man in a thick desert cape sat in a chair beside him, changing bandages with a simple wash basin on a table beside him. It was a small bedroom, most likely in a highway inn somewhere in the Land of Rivers.

"So you're finally awake." The man's face seemed familiar, but Haku was too tired to think though his memory of Bingo books. Too sore to even move he stayed still, though he knew his rescuer was no simple man to have been able to extract him from the underground cave.

"How long has it been?" Haku asked with a hoarse and dry voice.

"Two days. To be honest I'm surprised you're still alive." The auburn-haired man sat down on a chair by the end of the bed and lit a cigarette with a simple fire-flicker jutsu. "Truth be told I was kind of hoping you would just die, I could have sent your body back to Sunagakure for dissection and analysis." The serious look in his eyes showed the truth in his words, as well as revealed his identity.

"But you spend two days nursing me back to health because you felt indebted… Yondaime Kazekage." The return of consciousness seemed to restore his vigor as well, his memory was improving. Of course that returned his memory of his fight with Orochimaru.

"A life for a life, there is no simpler exchange between men who owe a debt. I'm no master with healing jutsu, but I've picked up enough to patch you up as best I could. The damage to your blood vessels though, you're lucky you didn't damage your heart or you'd likely have a permanent arrhythmia or worse."

Standing up, he walked over to the corner of the room and picked up a backpack before setting it down on the bed.

"I found your supplies in the desert, and the room has been paid for another week. You'll need more time than that to recover though."

"And what about you? Orochimaru does not give up his prey so easily."

"After I managed to escape I ran into his reinforcements. While you were keeping him occupied, I killed all but one, deployed a decoy body I kept in a scroll, and then used a genjutsu on the man to make him believe he had killed me. Doubling back after that, I found you and kept a low profile. I can't say for certain that we haven't been followed, but likely Orochimaru has his own plans and can't afford to waste time hunting me again."

"Konoha's Chuunin Exams, you and he had something planned for them, didn't you?"

"We did, but in trying to kill me I get the impression he was trying to cut me out of the deal." It was a terrible pun, but Haku didn't think he meant it with a sense of humor.

Going back to grab the other backpack, he put out his cigarette in an ashtray before heading for the door. "Konoha is a good day and a half away, under good conditions. Likely it will take you two to three days how you are. I'm no fool Yuki Haku; doubtless you will follow me soon after I leave in order to attend the Chuunin Exams. I did not drug you to weaken you to prevent this; it is every man's choice to choose his own destiny. In four days time the Exams begin, if you are there, then you will get to see firsthand how these plots play out."

Without another word, he left.

Sitting up was a challenge, but staying in one place for too long was not what he wanted either. Going over to the counter revealed the medical equipment the Kazekage had left behind. Even without knowledge of medical jutsu, these were some of the most advanced medicines Haku had seen.

Still, moving was a sluggish process, his heart rate was irregular and he could feel his blood vessels were stressed. Damaged blood valves would require blood thinning medicine to prevent blood clots from forming. Likely he would have to see a doctor sooner or later, but for now he could not worry about that.

Checking his pack for his supplies, he was relieved to see his new robes were undamaged. The traveling robes he had worn during his fight were in tatters, no worries about those though. A white canvas bag on the table troubled him though. Opening it caused a single spike of black ice to fall out. The sight of it made him cringe. Still freezing cold to the touch, this was Orochimaru's venom that had been injected into him. Why had the Kazekage preserved this?

Packing up everything he needed, he left as quickly as he could. Too dangerous to leave, the solidified curse seal was the last thing he put into his backpack. Swallowing hard, he set out to an uncertain future.

* * *

His sword sat in front of him, lying on a table in his room. It had been two weeks since he had held it in his hands, it would take time to get used to its weight again… only after finishing the volumes of the man who had crafted it, the sword had gained a completely different weight.

Manipulating internal chakra was one thing, imbuing an item with chakra was another; the swords used by the Mists Seven Swordsmen were something else entirely:  
A sword that devoured chakra – The Samehada  
A sword that enhanced the user's accuracy and had a never-ending string – Nuibari  
A sword that crushes any defense – Kabutowari  
A sword with an infinite supply of explosive seals – Shibuki  
Twin swords, always at their sharpest because of their lightning Chakra – Kiba  
The sword that can alter its shape via chakra – Hiramekarei  
And the sword capable of endless regeneration in blood – Kubikiribōchō

They were different from other items considered mystical in the Shinobi world because their origins were known, though only by the ones who carried them. The journals were a mystery up to the final volume, where everything came together in the culmination of a dark secret.

"You were human once, weren't you?" Zabuza looked at his sword, it didn't answer. Of course it didn't.

It wasn't pity he felt, nor was it remorse. The man had made his choice, altered his body's chakra network through experimental surgery, then had it ripped out of him and imbued into the very metal of the blade. But there was something else, something feared by the swordsmith who had made them.

Years after the swords were finished, the Samehada "woke up". The blade gained sentience and was alive in every sense of the word. It made the sword more dangerous, more effective. The last pages of the journal were the musings of a tired old man wondering if his other "children" would come alive as well.

There was a supplementary book about the users of the seven swords, how a shinobi from Kirigakure used the Kiba blades once during a battle before they were given to another swordsmen. Though born a water elemental user, from that day onward he could only use the lightning element.

Another was a retired user of the Kabutowari. He lived out the remainder of his days with seals wrapped around his hands because anything he touched broke apart and disintegrated.

The blades were slowly changing, it was said their power was growing with each generation. Before his death, it was said Mangetsu Hozuki had become a monster because of his training with all seven swords.

"A monster then." Running his tongue along his sharpened teeth, Zabuza stood up and walked to the table. "They call me a Demon, I wonder if using you will make me one for real?"

Hefting the blade in his hands, it did feel heavier than it had before, but it felt stronger.

"Perhaps you want to devour my soul? Well maybe I'll try to eat yours instead." Any other time he would have felt ridiculous talking to an inanimate object, but never before in his life had he felt a Killing Intent as strong as the one which was now in his hands.

Strapping the blade to his back, he strode outside and yelled for Chojuro.

"Get out here you runt! And bring your sword too, we've got work to do."


	30. Chapter 30

The screams were the hardest part. For someone as quiet and reserved as Kimimaro was, deathly silent even, his screams were unsettling, almost unnatural sounding. Holding her hands together, Anko waited patiently in the hallway while Tsunade worked on her brother. Twice did her assistant, that Shizune woman, run out to grab something. Even an underground hospital didn't have everything they needed it seemed.

It was all too sterile in here, too much like the rooms in any of Orochimaru's hideouts. It was different when she was younger, or perhaps it had only seemed that way. Pulling out a folder she had received from Danzo, she read up on what Root knew about Kabuto, still a man of mystery that one. Comparing it to Orochimaru's own folder on him was interesting, each one tried to take credit for turning him into an infiltration specialist and for setting his adoptive mother against him. Misinformation was part of the game she supposed.

A door to her right led to an observation room behind a one-way mirror. Some criminals didn't trust their doctors and would spy on them from there, or perhaps they would use this facility as a place of torture and liked to watch. Either way, Anko stayed in the hallway. This was hard enough as it was.

A second folder had all the details of Orochimaru's invasion plan, the part he wanted her to perform, his own plans, information on the chuunin exams themselves. Though the information was a few days old, what struck her curiosity was the fact that the swordsman from the Mist seemed to have made a full recovery from the dose of venom she had injected him with.

Licking her lips, she smiled, "Perhaps I'll have to sting him again sometime." Finding his picture in the file, she looked at it and tried to imagine what his face looked like. It was customary for members of the Seven Swordsmen to file their teeth to points, like sharks; strange how excited the thought made her.

Blinking to herself, she closed the file and put it away. It had been a nice distraction, but she had to think. Brace herself for bad news if Tsunade delivered a negative verdict, or worse… plan what to do if she said she could heal him. Would Kimimaro wind up becoming just another vessel for Orochimaru? Part of her realized the power her father would gain, but her heart broke to think of what would be lost.

"No, I won't let him have you." She resolved to herself.

The operation light clicked off and Tsunade walked out wearing a surgeon's apron stained with plasma. Knowing her hemophobia, she likely had some technique to perform medical jutsu without drawing blood, but plasma and other fluids getting through were still quite likely.

"A member of the Kaguya Clan, and here I thought they had all been killed off." Taking off her mask, Tsunade motioned to the observation room so she could sit down too.

"Well, what's the diagnosis Tsunade?" Anko asked, trying to hide her impatience.

"It could be a number of things, I don't want to try a treatment until I'm sure though. Tell me though, am I correct in assuming Orochimaru has a medical expert?"

"Yes."

"With your 'father's' resources, and lack of morals, it's likely that the medic is highly skilled. Yet he could do nothing for your… brother?"

"It started a few years ago… I already gave you the background. Why are you asking about stupid Kabuto?"

"I have reached one of three conclusions: one, your brother has a form of leukemia, his bone marrow is overloading his immune system and his Kekkei Genkai is complicating everything; two, he has some Clan specific disease I've yet to identify, that one could be very hard to identify; and three," holding up a small vial of green liquid she had palmed in her hand, "he's been slowly poisoned over several years by someone close enough to administer medicine."

Standing up, Anko walked back into the hallway and retrieved the small suitcase she had lying on the ground. Setting it on the desk in front of Tsunade she sat down again. "Will you treat him then?"

Sighing deeply, Tsunade rubbed the sides of her head. "I've never been good at knowing when to walk away from a gamble. You clear by debts and I'll do what I can. I make no promises though. This condition is advanced; it might already be too late."

Unlocking the brief case, Anko got the rest of her things and prepared to leave. "I understand."

"You have a look in your eye dear one. Where is that look going to lead you?"

"I have business in Konoha. I need some answers."

"About Kimimaro?"

"No, about myself."

With a smile, Tsunade leaned back in her chair against the wall behind her but said nothing. Shizune came into the room as Anko left but just before the door closed she heard Tsunade say, "Kids these days, always so serious…"

* * *

Getting past Konoha guards was easy, still being a registered guest of the city made her presence in the outskirts questionable, but nothing alarming. The problem was getting past the forward scouts from Otogakure and Suna. Oddly enough, there were also representatives from Kirigakure.

"This is all too weird." Kin said to herself, but remembering the boys with the giant swords from the first part of the exams reminded her that Mist Nin were here, making things more complicated. But it meant the eyes that should have been watching for her would have other distractions.

Dosu had walked in right through the main gate, as though returning from training for the Chuunin exam finals. They had decided to take alternate routes into the city, Dosu would draw a lot of attention from anyone involved with Orochimaru's plan, but it would also put them all on alert to look for Zaku and herself. Still, it was a risk they had to take.

Konoha was a tough nut to crack, but Orochimaru had taught her how to get past chakra sensors. True, things had changed since he had left the village, but his time with Itachi in Akatsuki had been a refresher course in stealth infiltration which he shared with his precious Sound Nin. How cold it all seemed, coming out from under his wing had revealed him for the cold blooded snake he was.

Still it hurt, not his betrayal but her own; it was the stupidity of it all, how at one point she would have been willing to sacrifice anything for his dream.

'Dreams, what good are they if you're dead?' She scoffed to herself.

Using her sound chakra to modify her signature, she knew all the sensors would see was a small mouse or cat wandering outside of the village's walls. A shed just outside the walls was guarded by three chuunin. Needle Bells were all she needed to put them to sleep for a minute while she entered the door and down into the subterranean tunnels which led to either ROOT HQ or the sewer system.

Deciding to avoid both, she kept to the back alleys of Konoha until she found one of the residential districts. One home was easy enough to break into when she found that nobody was home. Collapsing her ninja gear into a purse, she went through the closet and found an old festival dress close to her size, deep blue. The color was right, but she needed more for a costume.

Going to the bathroom she wet her long hair and styled it up as best she could. Kirigakure styles were odd, more extravagant than other villages. Thankfully her long hair was useful for this sort of disguise. With a touch of makeup and a fancy comb, she checked the mirror to see that she played the part of a visiting lady from the Water Country

Leaving the house looking like she was never there, she found her way out and into the crowds of the city. Playing the part of a lady in need, she managed to pick a few pockets to pay for the high class hotel she checked into. All the visiting busybodies were in town for the exam fights, there was no lack of rich dignitaries to steal from.

Despite her distaste for the act, she figured she had to get into the spirit of theft if she were going to be able to follow-through with her task to steal from Konoha's Library.

Perhaps she was already spotted, perhaps she had evaded detection. It was impossible to know right now. Though her room was expensive and comfortable, it felt no different than that room she had when she had lived at Orochimaru's. A prison cell she now saw for what it was.


	31. Chapter 31

Tightening the gauze wrap, Zabuza finished the cover for his sword and stood up. He had debated writing seals on the linen strips, but decided it was too much work for a pointless deception to bother. Strapping the blade to his back he waited by the door for Chojuro to finish getting ready so they could finally get this day started. The boy came out of his room, nervously adjusted his goggles, and cracked his knuckles as he strode to the front door.

"He didn't come in last night either?" Chojuro's voice seemed slightly worried.

"He'll show up. Doubtless he's waiting in the wings somewhere waiting." It was a matter of fact answer. After giving the Konoha guards a slip, Haku had simply disappeared. The act had driven Yamato crazy, which was rather fun. Still, with Orochimaru somewhere on the loose, a plot between Suna and Oto, not to mention a delegation from Kiri being in town, there were almost too many players for the stage and a single actor like Haku could be overlooked… though knowing Haku that would only happen because it would be his intention. After all the years he had known him, he was still unpredictable.

"I hope Mizukage-Sama isn't angry at us for missing the banquet last night."

"Truth be told I'm certain she didn't expect us to show up. It wouldn't be our style. Besides, both she and the delegates know actions are more important. The three of us doing well in the tournament is more important than looking impressive at some boring dinner." Looking at the clock, he nodded to the younger genin. "Let's go."

Heading out on the roads was a different experience; the town seemed far quieter today. Security was at alert, meaning their usual guards had been replaced by guards on every rooftop. Though shops were closed, bars and other public houses were open with radios on for the broadcast. It seemed ridiculous that such an event was treated the same by some as a sporting event. That shinobi would be popular figures like this almost disgusted him. Something inside of him was half tempted to just leave Konoha right then, but the weight on his back seemed to push him forward to the arena.

Checking in was work for low-class shinobi who care about paperwork. Zabuza just strode in and made his way to the wing reserved for the competitors. The three nin from Suna were waiting in a corner, as well as the three raven-haired boys from Konoha. The one with the sunglasses was rather fearsome; those kikaichu of his made him a very real and very quiet threat. The other Konoha nin, the shadow boy and the Hyuuga were competent in their own respects, but still more boys than men. The last one waiting was the remaining genin from Otogakure, the weapon on his arm looked different, a shade of green. Perhaps he had added a new lacquer cover to make it match the fresh grass cloak he wore.

In a far corner was the exam proctor, that Gekko he had fought with the other week. The circles around his eyes had cleared up, though worry still marked his face. Squeezing the hand of a purple-haired, masked ANBU, he nodded as the woman handed him a paper before leaving.

"Chuunin exam finalists," he paused for a moment to cough, "I need your attention for a moment. We're still short three of you, but we need to start the opening ceremony in a few minutes. I need you all down on the field in five minutes, the Hokage will arrive, speak a few words, and then I'll announce the final roster for the tournament. Hopefully by then our late-comers will show up."

Looking down on the field, Zabuza debated whether to make a showy entrance or not. 'No. Save the show for when it's my fight." While part of him was worried about Haku, he was more worried about how hot the Kubikiribōchō felt on his back. There was a fight coming, and this exam was only the prelude.

* * *

It was her hair that first caught Haku's eye. It was meant to be worn in the style of a young noblewoman from the Land of Water, but it wasn't quite right, it didn't have the same lift from the neck as was the proper style. Once she had caught his eye, it was unmistakable. She was the girl from the Forest of Death he had put to sleep with a genjutsu; Tsuchi Kin, from Otogakure.

Tightening his sash, Haku looked ahead towards the front of the stadium and caught sight of Naruto running in. Given the time it was clear he was also late to the opening ceremony, but in his heart Haku knew the tournament was going to be out of his reach given his current condition. After all, making it to Konoha in time had been enough of a challenge. Finding her again, he kept out of sight. Between his light red robe, his hair tied up in his bun holder, and the fact he wasn't wearing a mask, he doubted anyone would take him for one of the participants. Still, he was interested to see how things would play out, especially with the alliance that had existed between the Sound and the Sand. Had the Kazekage arrived in Konoha? What plans did the Sound genin have? Given how hopeless they had looked when he spied on them in the locker room during the Chuunin semi-finals, he wondered what their current aim was.

Taking a seat on the stands a few rows behind her, he looked down just in time to see the other fighters come into the stadium. Zabuza stood tall and proud, though he had always been tall for his age, his adult height was almost upon him and he was a good head above the others. Above the arena was the VIP box, the Hokage sat alone for the moment, but as he rose he motioned to his left and right and he was joined by the Mizukage as well as a masked figure wearing the Kazekage's robes. It was impossible to tell if it was Orochimaru or the actual Yondaime Kazekage.

The village leaders exchanged pleasantries for a few moments before taking their seats. The Kazekage raised his voice and announced the start of the tournament to everyone in attendance. After that, the sickly looking man nodded and held a sheet of paper before the competitors and began to announce the schedule for the final exams

"It took us some time to decide the schedule for the tournament, given that we have twelve competitors. Four of you are getting a bye until the second round: Naruto, Zabuza, Shino and Dosu all get to wait until the second round for their fights. The first round fights are as follow: Chojuro of the Mist against Hyuuga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke against Gaara, Kankuro against Yuki Haku, and finally Nara Shikamaru will face Temari. Any questions?"

There was still a bit of a murmur among the crowd about the absence of young Sasuke, but the excitement for the other matches settled most of the noise. Looking up for a moment, Haku realized the Mizukage was not looking directly at the arena, but rather in his own direction. There was a definite fire in her eyes, but she turned her head towards the Hokage with a laugh and went back to watch Chojuro get ready for his fight with the Hyuuga prodigy.

Sitting back, Haku tried to get comfortable, but he knew when things started they would escalate quickly, so he stayed alert. To those in attendance, their questions were about who would win the fights. Haku knew better, the real questions were: who was going to make the first move, and when was the opportune moment? Folding his arms, he watched carefully how this would play out and wondered about what role he wanted to play.


	32. Chapter 32

The absence of the Uchiha brat added a bit of tension to the air, as much as Zabuza didn't like to admit it there was more interest invested in the ones with Doujutsu in this tournament. That Sasuke kid and the Hyuuga were both favorites to win, thankfully Kumogakure did not attend these exams; bad blood takes longer than a few years to settle, especially considering fresh blood always seemed to spill before the last mess was forgotten.

What was odd was Gaara's reaction to Sasuke's absence. He clenched his fists but his expression remained neutral. He had blood on his mind; the kid was old school, which Zabuza didn't know if it made him like Gaara more or less.

Eventually Gekko got around to starting the fights and had everyone except Choujuro and the Hyuuga kid left the arena. With a nod, Zabuza left to take his place in the viewing deck. In most ordinary fights Kinjutsu would trump Taijutsu, which was the Hyuuga's specialty. Those eyes were dangerous though, cold and without fear. Choujuro had prepared himself to fight Neji, but doubtless Neji had a strategy to not just fight, but beat the younger swordsman.

"Look at the two of them," The painted face Suna nin was offering his snide opinion, "your buddy looks way too nervous for this fight. It's clear who is going to win."

"Nobody asked you for your opinion clown," Zabuza debated whether he should threaten the Suna nin further, but decided now was not the time, "Choujuro is the kind who warms up to a fight, he's not the most impressive but he rises to challenges. It will be a better fight than you expect."

"Keep your cool Kankuro," The Suna blond pushed him back a step and regained her position resting against a stone column, "Just watch the fight."

It was uncertain though. Choujuro was still new to the sword. Though a promising rookie, even after all their training and study, he was far from a master. The Mizukage was making a dangerous move here. It was one thing to say that Kirigakure was changed from the days of the Bloody Mist, but the reputation of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist was still something the other villages feared. Even if Choujuro's performance was good, it might not live up to the expectations people had about the fabled Seven. With a chuckle, Zabuza realized they were in the same position as the Uchiha kid, high expectations.

Oddly the one most anxious about the fight was Naruto, doubtless because he was going to have to fight the victor. "Don't be disappointed, but I hope your friend loses. Because nobody gets to kick Neji's ass but me."

"Hopes are such strange things. We hope for things which can lead to the disappointment of others. But then again, not all disappointments are for the worst." The Sunglasses wearing Aburame chimed in his point, drawing the odd look from all the other genin. That kid had a way of getting under everyone's skin, a rare talent that.

"The fight's about to start." Dosu's one visible eye narrowed, "Let's see how this goes."

* * *

Choujuro steadied his breathing and slowed his heart rate as he let his muscles loosen and relax. Shinobi in Kirigakure called it "controlling your water", being in control of your body instead of letting your opponent dictate your body's rhythm. The Seas would flow in and out with the tides, and waves would crash into the shores with the wind. The calm in the storm. He was ready.

Neji tightened the bandages wrapped around his right arm and stared with his emotionless white eyes. Though the Hyuuga was keeping his composure, his eyes kept traveling to Choujuro's right shoulder, the handles of the Hiramekarei. The sword may not be making him nervous, but it was giving him pause. Putting his hands together, he made a seal and the veins bulged on the sides of his eyes, he then assumed an open fighting stance with an outstretched, open palm.

The audience murmured lightly in the background, but it felt like they were miles away. Not even Gekko's presence was felt, the duel had stated and everyone else was just a watcher.

Neji's foot inched forward. Choujuro cracked his knuckles and adjusted his glasses. In a game of sight the Hyuuga had the clear edge, but a fight isn't always about sight. It's about heart, feeling, and a little bit of guts.

Though some might counsel a ranged attack against a Taijutsu user is most wise, the advantage of greatswords is that it is at once a ranged attack and a close one. Hiramekarei stayed in its wrappings as Choujuro ran around to Neji's side, the Hyuuga, pivoted his feet and took a step forward to meet the blade as it came as Neji's head. A turn of the wrist and a slap upward diverted the blade from hitting Neji. With another step forward, Neji attempted to slam a palm into Choujuro's chest, but Choujuro let the weight of his sword carry him as he hopped to the side, avoiding the strike.

Spinning the sword as he landed, he sliced a semi-circle along the ground and gave Neji a wink. The Hyuuga raised an eyebrow in confusion before realizing that while he had reflected the blade, the left tassel of his headband had been sliced off.

This time Choujuro adopted a defensive stance. Lowering his blade, he let the tip touch the ground and leaned on the hilts. With a smirk, he showed his filed teeth and let out a mocking laugh. It did little to upset Neji, but he knew the crowd would eat it up. He was focused on the fight, but part of his training with Zabuza was about how to put on a show.

Not losing his composure, Neji began walking towards Choujuro instead of charging. He was confident, but not stupid enough to rush into a trap. Though with those eyes he would see any attack coming.

Waiting until Neji was within one meter, Choujuro did not raise his sword to attack, but instead shifted it to act as a shield to Neji's palm strikes. Using the momentum, he flipped it up from its lowered position to above his head in an instant and sliced down on Neji, who jumped back at the last instant. This time it was the three straps on the front of Neji's jacket that were sliced open; though no damage was dealt to the Hyuuga, he pursed his lips in frustration.

"Even the best eyes are vulnerable to a good trick." Choujuro spun his sword in his hands. It still felt a little too heavy for him, but he didn't let that show.

"That sword is quite interesting, I've seen chakra in weapons before, but this one feels different." Neji tilted his head and rubbed his palms together. "But I think it's time to teach you why even Kinjutsu users fear the Hyuuga."

His footwork was remarkable, though he shuffled his feet; it was a run that lowered his center of gravity and closed distance fast. Choujuro sliced at Neji, but the Hyuuga dodged under the blade and hit it with his palm. Stepping forward, Neji hit the blade again and again as Choujuro used it as a shield.

'He hits way too hard, I can feel the vibrations through the handle. His focus isn't on me though? A weapon breaking technique? Can't let him keep going like this.'

"Hiramekarei Kaihou!" The bandages around the Hiramekarei unraveled and a storm of chakra was unleashed. "Longsword!" The chakra from his sword swirled like a hurricane as he attacked Neji, who jumped up and back to avoid the attack. To their side, Gekko had jumped up as well to avoid the attack, and the nearby wall of the stadium had a large gash in it. The audience was left gasping from the technique.

"A powerful attack lacking in aim, more suited for fighting a group of enemies than a single target." Neji straightened himself from his landing and assumed a very peculiar stance. "Time for you to see what an attack with perfect aim is like."

"Don't be so proud of your eyes just yet, you haven't seen everything." Choujuro shifted his grip on his sword, taking hold of both hilts. 'The sword release takes too much out of me; I can't do it more than two or three times in a single fight.'

"Hiramekarei Kaihou! Hammer!" Choujuro used the increased reach of his sword to attack Neji head on.

"Hakke Kuushou!" Neji's directed Vacuum Palm struck the Hiramekarei and knocked it from Choujuro's hands. The momentum of Choujuro's charge sent him right into Neji's fingers. The next few moments were a rush of pain and shock. Choujuro had not experienced what it felt like to have Tenketsu forcefully closed before. In an instant it was all too obvious why the Hyuuga had their feared reputation.

Staggering back, Choujuro was impressed that he managed to stay on his feet. Neji assumed a neutral pose as his opponent walked several meters to pick up his sword from where it had fallen. Holding it felt right, it's a swordsman's shame to be disarmed in a fight. Carefully wrapping it with the bandages, he placed it on his back and raised a hand to signal his surrender. As the crowds started their cheering and applause, Neji left and Ao jumped down to help Choujuro to the infirmary.

"You did good Choujuro."

"I'm too weak to carry on the legacy of the Seven Swordsmen. I br-"

"Nonsense. You showed great skill against a boy they call genius. Even holding your own and getting the crowd to cheer for you. You didn't win, but they'll remember your name and what you can do. More importantly, you made Her smile."

"Mizukage-san?"

Ao laid Choujuro down on the bed and nodded. "I'm hesitant to say this, but you know I have a Hyuuga eye. I can see Tenketsu just like that boy Neji could. When you picked up your sword, I saw the sword's chakra resonate with your own. Slowly your tenketsu started reopening. You were too busy wrapping your sword to notice, but Neji's eyes were wide in surprise… and fear. If you had continued the fight, I don't know if you could have won, we now know a little more about the Hiramekarei than we knew before."

Turning his glance to the sword, lying on the table beside him, Choujuro was unsure whether to be reassured that the weapon was his, or afraid.


End file.
